


Faithful

by alicedragons



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: (sort of), Discrimination, Dystopian Soulmate AU, Explicit Sexual Content, Fell-verse, Forbidden Love, LV Issues, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Prostitution, Sex Work, Soulmate AU, Tale-verse, illegal relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-16
Updated: 2019-01-04
Packaged: 2019-08-24 11:17:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 35,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16638944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alicedragons/pseuds/alicedragons
Summary: It is the law that a monster cannot take a lover who is not their Soulmate. Doing so is an unspeakable crime against the will of the Fates. Those who commit this crime are marked Unfaithful—the greatest shame a monster can endure.Truth be told, Rus had never been a monster of great faith.





	1. Lucky Thirteen

**Author's Note:**

> I've been working on this one for a while, so I hope you all enjoy. ^_^ The fic centres around the Spicyhoney. The other tagged ships are mostly peripheral.
> 
> Please also note that, while it is largely pretty fluffy, it does have unhappy moments, and certain themes may be upsetting for some people. I'll add warnings at the beginning of each chapter, so make sure you read them. And please read the main tags as well—they'll be applicable throughout the story.

In this city, there was nothing more depressing than a singles bar. Though Rus appreciated the sentiment—Fates knew how lonely sleeping by yourself got—the underlying expectation that one would find their Soulmate at one of the hundred-and-three mixers in the city made the entire endeavour rather pointless.

Security guards were stationed at every door. ‘For the safety of all patrons’ read the signs over their posts. Rus wondered if anyone actually bought that crap. He’d seen what happened to those who were Unfaithful—dragged away by security for trying to go home with a monster who wasn’t their Soulmate. He didn’t know what they did with them, but he’d heard stories about the punishments. The rehabilitation programmes. The banishments.

Well. There was alcohol here. Cheap alcohol, but it wasn’t as if Rus could afford anything more. May as well take advantage of it on his night off. He had no intention of taking anyone home, Soulmate or otherwise.

He would have gone to Grillby’s. It was a little out of his way, but it was far more esteemed than this place, and Grillby was more than willing to slip him a few freebies. But Rus wasn’t exactly in the mood to make small-talk with his brother’s… boyfriend.

So he drank his cheap wine, ate the cashews off the bar, and let the chatter and music fade to white noise around him. Given that it was a Saturday, the place was a little overcrowded. Among the throngs, flickers of colour drew attention to the Soulmate couples, glowing brightly (or faintly, in several cases). In these situations, Rus enjoyed being alone. It let him feel invisible.

Someone tapped his shoulder. Huh. Not invisible enough, apparently. He turned slowly, mind already slightly fogged from the alcohol. “yeah…?”

“Mind if I join ya?”

Rus eyed the monster, letting his gaze wander his body. An attractive monster, from an objective standpoint. Shirt open, sturdy abdominal muscles, well polished scales, silky hair…

“nah, sorry,” Rus said, turning back around. “drinking alone tonight.” He hadn’t come here to flirt, regardless of the impression one gave off sitting alone in a singles bar. He took another sip of his wine—then sighed in frustration when the stranger tapped his shoulder again. Turning, he lifted a brow bone, ensuring his impatience was apparent.

“How ‘bout we compare marks?” The monster flashed him a gleaming smile, holding out his forearm. “Y’never know ‘til ya check, right?”

Rus fought back the urge to roll his eye-lights. “right. look man, this isn’t going to happen, okay?”

The monster’s smile sunk, but he quickly recomposed himself. “Aw, c’mon, sweetheart. Jus’ show me yer soul mark and we can put this ta rest.”

“why?” Rus asked flatly, angling himself away from the monster and taking a long drink of his wine. His head buzzed.

“We could be Soulmates.” The monster winked, but his words made Rus shiver.

“yeah... not interested.”

The monster frowned slowly, looking confused. “But, if we’re Soulmates, then ya gotta…”

“gotta what?” Rus said sharply. The monster looked taken aback. Clearly, he hadn’t been expecting resistance. “tell you what,” Rus said. “i’ll put your mind to rest.” He yanked up his sleeve, displaying the faint crescent brand on his ulna, just a shade darker than his bone.

The monster’s eyes lit up, and he studied Rus’s forearm, then his own, comparing their marks. Both remained dull and unlit, and the monster grimaced, looking disappointed. He studied Rus for a moment, eyes narrowed. Rus sat still. This monster was Fell-verse—he could tell by the aura of magic that surrounded him. Sharp and aware. In Rus’s experience, Fell monsters were less inclined to the Soulmate laws. For a few seconds, Rus feared he might protest.

Then he glanced at the door—where security was eyeing them. Grunting, he gave a flippant wave of his hand. “Yer loss, sweetheart.” He wandered away and Rus slumped with relief.

After finishing the remainder of his drink, he slid off the barstool and nudged his way through the crowds. He brushed past a pair of Soulmates, glowing pink. They smiled at him, arms around each other. They seemed to be smiling at everyone, in fact. Ah, pink. The colour of newfound love. Rus grimaced to himself and squeezed past, heading outside.

The street was busy with Saturday crowds, but at least he could breathe out here. He retrieved a cigarette and lighter from his hoodie pocket, leaning against the cold bricks of the building. Above him, the pink light for the Single Souls bar flickered—beneath it, a notice to report any Unfaithful activity to security. It was custom for all establishments to have one.

Rus was halfway through his second cigarette when his phone buzzed in his back pocket. He grumbled to himself and pulled it out, recognising his handler’s number on the screen. “‘sup, val?” he answered, trying to keep his voice steady. He wasn’t quite at the point of slurring, but he was a renowned lightweight. Never really a good front to present to your boss.

“Hey, Rus. You sober?”

Rus stubbed his cigarette out against the wall. A red-glow Soulmate couple passed him, shooting him disdainful looks. “yep,” he lied, giving the couple a false smile.

“Good. Got a job for you.”

On his night off. Hmph. “it’s saturday,” he reminded her.

“It is,” she said. “And you’re meant to be on call.”

Oh. Right. He sighed, nodding to himself. “yeah okay. what is it? the usual?”

“Higher LV than usual.” Huh. That was surprising. They didn’t typically give him the high LV ones. Delicate goods and all. “We’re short staffed,” Val said in response to his silence. “I know. Not your usual assignment. You good for it?”

“yeah, not like i have anything better to do,” Rus said dully. A loud group of monsters passed him, giggling and stumbling and shrieking something about ‘The One!’ Rus narrowed his sockets. “i’ll be there in ten.”

“You’re a gem.”

“i know. i deserve a raise.”

“Hilarious. See you soon, love.”

Rus ‘ported back to his apartment. After drinking a healthy half-litre of water in an attempt to regain his sobriety, he took a quick shower and changed to make himself more presentable. Form-fitting jeans, white blouse, and a dash of cologne.

He found his company-issued bandana among the laundry. White silk embroidered with a silver _F._ He wrapped it around his ulna, hiding his soul mark. He caught a glimpse of his reflection in the bathroom mirror. His cheekbones were a little flushed from the wine. He supposed he could pass it off as deliberate. (Most of his clients liked to see him blush, anyway).

There was a soft mew at his feet, and he felt a small head rubbing up against his ankles. “kitty…” He crouched to scratch the small cat’s chin. “you know you don’t live here, right?” He sighed. “i should really stop feeding you.” She purred, and he scowled when thin black hairs stuck to his fingers. “you’d better be gone by the time i get back!” She mewed again as he tucked his phone into his back pocket and teleported to the facility.

After being tagged and physically assessed, he was sent to his handler’s office. She glanced up from her desk when he entered, pushing her glasses up her orange beak. Her black eyes sparkled. “Looking sweet as always, darling.” Rus tipped his head in acknowledgement and sat across from her. She slid him a file and he glanced at the monster’s profile.

His soul skipped a beat. “thirteen lv?” He swallowed, stunned. He was one of the few Tale-verse monsters in this field. And for that reason, he was seldom given monsters with LV higher than five or six—if that. “i…”

“He’s safe,” Val said. “We checked him out. Law enforcement. On suppressants. Trust me, darling, we wouldn’t be handing him one of our most valuable assets if he wasn’t.” She pulled a sheet out of the file in Rus’s hands, tapping the monetary value at the top of the page. “It’s not going to be a problem, is it?”

Rus eyed the amount the monster was paying, and swallowed. Fates. He’d be lying if he said he couldn’t use the money. “uh... nope. all good.”

Val smiled, her feathers flattening. “That’s what I like to hear.” She returned to her paperwork while he packed up the file into his inventory, standing. “Got your tag?” she asked without looking at him.

Rus crouched and tapped his ankle. “yup.”

“Good. We can’t have you running off.”

“yeah, because i’m very prone to that.”

“Well, you wouldn’t be the first,” Val said. “Had another one try it with their client last week. It was a mess—and the paperwork!” She looked at Rus and sighed. “I’m sorry, love, I know you wouldn’t. But we have to keep you all tagged. Council regulations and all that.”

“i know,” Rus said. “am i good to go?”

“I don’t suppose you’ll let us drive you?” Val said, looking at him wearily as he stood up.

Rus laughed and waved at her over his shoulder. “not a bloody chance.”

 

Rus didn’t drive. Not for lack of trying—his brother had attempted to teach him. ‘Attempted’ being the key word. Perhaps it was the knowledge that he was hurtling down the roads at speeds ten times greater than he could manage on his own two feet, accompanied by hundreds of other objects hurtling at similar speeds (or faster). Perhaps.

Either way, he always caught the train to his clients’ chosen locations. The tag around his ankle suppressed his teleportation, much to his bereavement. The company offered to drive him, of course, but Rus always refused. His policy about not travelling in a fast, small box held regardless of who was behind the wheel. Trains didn’t crash, public though they were.

To his disgruntlement, his carriage was rather abundantly populated by Soulmates tonight. Mostly glowing pink. A few reds about. The pinks were sicklier (in Rus’s personal, honest, and unbiased opinion). Flaunting their Soulmate-ness through _very_ extravagant displays of affection. The reds were more reserved, but no less unappealing to look at.

Above the heads of a pink couple in front of him, a large advertisement blared the words ‘ _Unfaithfuls. YOU can stop them. YOU can prevent the defilement of our society. Report non-Soulmate activity._ ’ Rus tried not to look at it too hard. Not that it had any bearing on him. Though his career might be considered ‘non-Soulmate activity’, it was permitted under the law. Nonetheless, any discussions of Unfaithfuls had always made him… uncomfortable.

The walk from the train station to his client’s house was only ten minutes. Ten quiet minutes. The neighbourhood was sparse, only a few apartments dotted between empty plots of land and small shops closed for the weekend. When he reached his client’s modest home, he found it barred by a gate and fence. He double-checked the address he’d saved on his phone. This didn’t exactly look like the home of a monster one would want to intrude upon. He rang the buzzer, and waited stiffly, wrapping his arms around himself.

A voice came through the intercom almost immediately. “Yes?” Low, rich and gravelly.

“um.” Rus swallowed. He didn’t normally get nervous around clients. _13 LV._ “it’s… rus. your. your escort?”

Silence. Rus shivered. Then— “Of course. I’ll be right out.”

The front door opened and he glanced up, swallowing. Though it was dark, he immediately recognised the silhouette of another skeleton monster. They were a rare breed, though he wasn’t the first Rus had met outside of family. Sharp features, well-dressed, a little stiff in the shoulders. The monster approached him with a placid expression on his face. His eye-lights glowed red.

Well. Rus knew an attractive monster when he saw one, and he was seeing one. He smiled, though it must have looked faint. Attractive or not, the skeleton still had an unsettling air about him that was common with Fell-verse monsters—particularly those with LV. “hello,” Rus said. The skeleton watched him, but didn’t open the gate. His expression was unreadable. “um... edge, right?”

“You’re Tale-verse.”

Rus blinked. “yes?”

The skeleton frowned, then seemed to realise himself. He shook his head, straightening the creases from his sweater. “Forgive me. You don’t see many Tale-verse monsters in this profession. At least, not in my experience.”

“oh.” Rus wondered if this monster was aware that Tale monsters were very unlikely to be loaned to those with LV as high as thirteen. “well. we are a rare breed, i suppose.”

The skeleton lifted a brow bone. “Indeed.” Rus glanced at his shoes, scuffing them on the ground. “I’m sorry if this is forward,” the other skeleton said, opening the gate and letting Rus inside, “but perhaps we could… skip the formalities. I’m…” Rus caught him swallowing. Then he noticed a tick in his hands. He was fidgeting, unsettled.

This certainly wasn’t the first time Rus had encountered a monster struggling to withhold the uncomfortable urges brought forth by their LV. Fates knew how a monster with LV this high was even coping. But this was familiar territory for him. He knew how to handle this. Relaxing his magic, he smiled amicably, and took the skeleton’s arm. “of course. why don’t you show me to your bedroom… edge, was it?”

“Yes. Yes, sorry, I should have mentioned that before.” He remained rigid under Rus’s hold.

“it’s alright,” Rus said smoothly. He stroked Edge’s arm delicately as they walked across the front yard, soothing. “i’m here to take care of you, but you’re the one in control.” Some of the tension left Edge’s shoulders, and he nodded without looking at Rus.

“Thank you,” he said. Still a little stiff, but it was progress.

Rus wasn’t quite sure what he’d expected, but there was a significant lack of taxidermy and creepy oil paintings inside the house. The walls were painted a calming beige, and shelves of books and figurines lined the room. There was an earthy smell—like pine and wood.  It was certainly neater than Rus’s apartment. There was an unfittingly homely feel to it, too.

Edge led him through the living room and into a corridor. Art hung on the walls, as did small potted plants. Fates, it was like a show-house. There wasn’t a speck of dust in sight. They passed what Rus assumed to be a study—though ‘miniature library’ may have been more accurate.

The bedroom was significantly plainer than the rest of the house. Simple. Practical. Bed and dresser—not even a mirror. Edge stopped to close the door behind them, then watched Rus with his hands folded behind his back. Patient—though, not really. Rus could tell it was a facade. The air itched with magic in need of tempering. “shall we close the curtains?” Rus asked.

Edge nodded quickly and crossed the room, drawing the curtains over the windows. It was something Rus had picked up in his early days working this job. He’d only had the police called on himself and a client once—owing to the absence of a Soulmate glow between them. Once had been enough.

Edge’s movements were unsteady; there was a tick of desperation to the way he held himself. Fates, he was worse than Rus had thought. He walked towards him slowly, touching his arm. “shall we?” he asked. Edge nodded, jaw clenched.

Channelling his magic into calming projections, Rus reached for the hem of Edge’s sweater. But Edge caught his hand. Instead, he began to unbutton Rus’s shirt hastily, making quick work of it. He pulled it off Rus’s shoulders, leaving his top half bare. A visible tremble ran through him as he studied Rus. His eye-lights glanced over the silk concealing Rus’s soul mark, but he paid it little further heed. Instead, he focused on Rus’s face, running his palm over his jaw.

Rus inhaled sharply when he leaned in and pressed their teeth together. Rougher than he’d been anticipating, and it took him a moment to catch his breath. He kissed Edge back tentatively, running his tongue over his teeth. Edge cupped the back of his skull and looped an arm around his hips, pulling their bodies together and delving into Rus’s mouth. Rus hummed in surprise, but reciprocated by running his fingers down Edge’s spine.

When Edge pulled back, his cheekbones were flushed red. He kicked off his shoes and caught Rus in his arms again, lowering him to the bed. The rest of his clothes remained on. Rus let himself go lax in Edge’s arms, allowing him to control the kiss. He could feel the press of Edge’s magic through his slacks—hard. “what would you like from me?” he murmured, stroking Edge’s hip and finding the bone coarse beneath his fingers. “want me to make something pretty for you to fuck?”

Edge gave nothing beyond a stiff nod before kissing Rus again. As he pressed their hips together, Rus let his magic settle into a cunt. Edge cupped his pelvic bone. He grunted softly as he squeezed, licking Rus’s jaw, nibbling on his neck. Rus sighed and tipped his head back. A quiet moan escaped him when Edge’s fingers found a sensitive spot through his jeans. Fuck. He was normally good at remaining composed when with clients.

He decided to switch things around, and reached for Edge’s belt. He loosened it with practiced ease, and tugged his pants down his femurs. He hummed at the sight of Edge’s cock, already hard and leaking. Licking his teeth, Rus eyed Edge, letting a smirk play across his mouth.

Edge caught his wrists and Rus froze, for a second fearing the worst. “Lie back,” Edge said quietly. He wasn’t looking Rus in the eye. His gaze wandered over Rus’s naked form. He stroked his ribs and ilia, studying them, almost curiously. “Turn over.” His voice was low.

Rus lay on his front and braced himself on his elbows. For a few seconds, Edge was motionless behind him. Rus could hear his heavy breathing, and feel the waves of urgency rolling off him. He glanced over his shoulder at Edge. He was kneeling, a blank expression on his face. His body was trembling. Rus swallowed, worried. “hey, don’t worry about me,” he said gently. “i can handle it. just take what you need, okay?”

Edge’s eyes honed in on his face. There was an intensity to his gaze that made Rus shrivel. He turned back around, and waited. Behind him, the sheets shifted. Then—

“oh…” Rus moaned at the press of something soft and warm against his folds. He had to bite on his fist to hold back his vocality. Edge’s tongue slipped inside him and he groaned, pressing his face into the pillow. Oh. Fates. He couldn’t recall the last time someone had done this to him—let alone _well._

Magic rushed downward, making his cunt throb. Edge pressed a finger inside him, pushing his tongue against Rus’s clit. Rus was panting, his face flushed. “fuck,” he gasped, when Edge pressed a second finger into him. “oh _fuck_ that’s good.” Edge hummed softly, burying his tongue inside Rus one final time before he withdrew. Rus let his head drop forward onto the pillow, quite flustered.

He glanced over his shoulder then twisted around, reaching for Edge’s heavy cock. “here, let me—”

Edge caught his wrist. His grip wasn’t tight, but Rus could sense the effort he was exerting through the tremors that travelled through him. He shook his head and pushed Rus back down. “I—I’m sorry. I just. I really need to fuck you.”

Rus swallowed heavily, but nodded in reassurance. “of course. whatever you need.” He propped himself up and Edge wrapped an arm around his chest, dragging their bodies together.

“Red if you need me to stop.” There was something dark in Edge’s voice, and Rus bit his tongue, nodding. Edge’s arm around his chest was tight, and Rus could feel him trembling.

“go ahead.” His voice emerged small. Beside him, Edge’s fingers dug into the mattress. The tips were sharp, Rus noticed. He could feel them against his ribs now. Not hard enough to hurt. Not yet, anyway. He braced himself for pain.

When he felt the head of Edge’s cock pushing into him, he sucked in a sharp breath. Edge stopped at once, but his voice was raspy when he spoke. “Am I hurting you?” The way he shook above Rus spoke of how well he was holding himself together.

“no, love, you’re good. keep going.”

Slowly, Edge pushed deeper, grunting. Rus shut his eyes, breathing slowly as his cunt adjusted to the stretch. Edge moved carefully, though Rus was certain it was more for his sake than his own. He slid out of Rus then pushed back in, groaning. “Y-you feel good,” he said tremulously.

“yeah?” Rus stroked Edge’s hand around his chest. “you want to go harder?”

“Yes,” Edge breathed, pushing a little deeper, thrusting a little faster. “Please.”

“go on. you’re doing so well.” Rus gasped when Edge found a rougher pace, squeezing their bodies together. “fuck, that feels good. oh, fates, that’s amazing…” Rus panted, whining softly when Edge latched onto his neck, teeth digging in to the bone. He pressed Rus into the bed and pounded into him, groaning. “oh!” Rus cried out. “oh, holy _fuck._ ”

Edge growled and buried himself into Rus, slowing his pace and holding himself deep. He rolled his hips and found a delicious spot inside Rus’s walls, making him whine. “…oh fates, you’re going to make me come.”

In Rus’s profession, ‘faking it’ was an intrinsic part of the practice. In this case however, it was entirely unnecessary. Every sound out of his mouth was completely genuine—he wasn’t sure he’d have been able to stop them if he’d tried.

Edge seemed a little beyond words himself. The growls and moans he was making were leaning towards carnal, and Rus could feel the thick, heavy magic of his LV in the air around them. He made his best effort to accelerate his soothing projections, but his magic was more interested in arousing than calming. Regardless, Edge seemed to be enjoying himself.

“oh—oh!” Rus screamed when Edge’s fingers found his clit. He stroked it slowly as he ground into Rus, his cock pressing just the right place against Rus’s walls.

Instinctively, Rus held a hand over his mouth as his climax built. “No,” Edge growled, yanking his hand away. “Let me fucking hear you. Let me hear you come.”

Rus cried out, a shudder rushing through him as he came. Edge moaned and held their bodies together, going still inside Rus. A flood of warmth filled his cunt and he groaned, clinging to the bed sheets. Sweat trickled down his skull. His entire body felt hot. He slumped beneath Edge, catching his breath.

Slowly, carefully, Edge rolled off him and lay back on the mattress beside him. “Thank you,” he said, wiping sweat from his forehead. “You can’t imagine how much I needed that.”

Rus only nodded, breathless. Then, to his surprise, Edge leaned over and caught his mouth in a kiss, significantly gentler than before. He drew away and lay back down, shutting his eyes. The tension had left him; Rus could see it. And feel it. The aura he projected—while retaining the natural hint of Fell-verse hostility—no longer sparked with unchanneled magic and aggression.

At this point, most of Rus’s clients would likely have asked him to leave—or have requested another round. But Edge made no move to do either. Or to do anything, in fact, beyond lying at his side, dozing. Rus wondered if he ought to be the one to suggest ending their session. “i, um—i can leave now, if…” He swallowed when Edge glanced at him. He really was the perfect balance of scary and sexy.

“Stay here,” he said. He got up and buckled his pants, then left Rus alone in the room. Rus sat up and propped himself against the headboard. He eyed the clock on Edge’s dresser. Edge still had him for half an hour. Most clients preferred to make use of the full hour—but thus far, Edge had hardly filled the expectations Rus had of ‘most clients’. He was… odd. Though Rus was still deciding whether that was a good or bad thing.

Edge returned with a basin and washcloth, along with a bottle of water. He handed the water to Rus, instructing him to drink. Rus obeyed… hesitantly. He frowned at Edge as he wet the cloth in the basin. “uh, mind explaining what you’re doing?”

“You don’t mind if I clean you up, do you?” Edge asked, hesitating.

“i—i mean. you don’t? have to…?”

“Do you want me to?” Edge asked again.

Rus looked at him, trying to gauge the expression on his face. He found nothing of concern. Shrugging, he popped the cap off his bottle, taking a sip of water. “sure. go ahead.”

Edge leaned in and wiped the magic away from his pelvis. Rus took a heavy swallow of water. This felt… oddly intimate. Which—was part of the job, he supposed, but this was a different sort of intimacy. He watched as Edge dabbed carefully at the tender regions of his pelvis with the cloth. Rus had to suppress a shiver. He wasn’t used to this type of intimacy.

When he’d finished, Edge patted Rus dry with a towel. “I’ll call you a taxi,” he said, folding the towel and cloth neatly.

Rus blinked, surprised. “oh. you still have me for another thirty minutes, though.”

“That’s quite alright. I’ll still pay in full.”

“no, i mean…” Rus shook his head. “you don’t need any more…?”

“You’ve been more than helpful. Thank you, Rus.”

Rus watched him dubiously. Edge picked his clothes off the floor and handed them to him. Rus slid off the bed and slowly got dressed, tugging his jeans over the tag around his ankle. He could feel Edge’s gaze on him.

“Let me call a taxi,” he said again.

Rus waved his hand, standing and heading for the door. “nah, it’s no bother. i’ll get the train.”

“You catch the train?” Edge sounded surprised.

“yep.”

“... Alone?”

“alone.” Rus smiled at Edge from the doorway, tilting his head.

“No, of course, I just—” Edge stood with his hands folded behind his back, shoulders taut. “Allow me to walk you to the station.”

Rus grinned. “aw, you don’t have to do that, man.”

“I insist.”

“i appreciate it, but i’m perfectly capable of walking ten minutes by myself.”

Edge looked at the floor, frowning, then said, “I still have you for half an hour, don’t I?”

A surprised laugh escaped Rus. “well—i suppose i can’t stop you then.”

“Thank you.” Edge sounded strangely relieved.

They walked in silence. The street didn’t stir, empty as it had been on Rus’s journey here. Edge secured the gate behind them before escorting Rus down the road. He walked by Rus’s side without a word. There was an alertness to the way he moved. He was light on his feet, shoulders drawn, hands behind his back. Like military. Val had mentioned he was law enforcement, hadn’t she? Rus wondered if that had anything to do with it. Somehow, he doubted it. There was something… very Fell-verse about Edge’s demeanour. More so than he was used to.

When they reached the station, Edge stopped outside the gates. Rus glanced at him, smirking. “you’re not going to insist on catching the train with me, are you?”

Edge narrowed his sockets. “No. Our time is up.” On cue, the tag around Rus’s ankle buzzed. Edge held out his hand stiffly. “It was good meeting you, Rus.”

Rus lifted a brow bone, grinning as he shook Edge’s hand. “yeah, it was… you’re great in bed.” Edge lifted a brow bone.

“Yes, I know. And I can extend the compliment.”

Rus snorted. “goodnight, edge.”

“Goodnight. Travel safely.”

“i will,” Rus said. He glanced over his shoulder as he entered the station. Edge still stood at the gates, watching him. A little weird, perhaps, but in a strange way, Rus took comfort in it.


	2. Feels like true LOVE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rus is less than familial towards his brother's new Soulmate, and he breaches a sensitive topic with Edge. Also, there are sexy times.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Warnings:** Unhappy romantic relationship, discrimination against Fell-verse monsters, physical harassment on public transport (non-sexual), brief discussion of LV issues.

“food’s good, bro,” Rus said through a mouthful of lasagne. Blue beamed at him.

“Thank you, Pap. Grillby helped me with it.” He glanced at the flame elemental at his side, glowing the same pale shade of pink he was. “Where did you say the recipe was from again, sweetheart?” Rus swallowed his food, trying very hard not to gag.

“MTT’s pasta menu,” Grillby said proudly. “Of course, I don’t work in the kitchens myself, but as his head barista, he allows me access to any part of the hotel I wish.” He straightened the lapels of his periwinkle suit jacket. Blue hummed and nodded, but his jaw was tight.

Rus forced a smile. “wow. that’s incredible, grillbz.” His phone buzzed in his pocket and he used the excuse to ignore Blue’s warning look.

“Rus, no phones at the dinner table,” Blue chastised softly.

Rus lifted a brow bone at his brother and glanced at the text. “it’s work,” he said. “and since when do you care about phones at the dinner table?”

Blue shifted in his seat. His bright eye-lights flickered to Grillby. “It’s impolite. And it’s Saturday. You’re not meant to work tonight.”

“i’m on call,” Rus said, shoving his phone back in his pocket. “they want me in at nine.”

Blue eyed the clock on the kitchen wall. “Well. That is a shame. I was hoping you’d be able to stay for dessert—Grillby and I were going to watch a movie.”

Rus gave his brother a wide smile, tilting his head. “don’t worry. i’m sure you and grillby will have fun!” Blue’s expression hardened.

“Where was it you worked again, Rus?” Grillby asked. “A LOVE crisis centre?”

Rus bit his tongue to hold back a snort. “uh. yeah. something like that.” Blue was giving him daggers. Rus glanced at his plate and took a quick bite of pasta.

“I’m honestly not sure how you do it,” Grillby said, sniffing primly. “I don’t enjoy working with those crea—those monsters. Fell monsters, I mean.” Rus stared at him, and he cleared his throat. “The ones with LV, in any case.” Blue looked uncomfortable. The pink glow around him waned. He eyed Rus, giving a small shake of his head.

Rus clenched his teeth, swallowing back a tirade of retorts. One still slipped through. “hm. wonder how they feel about working with you.”

Blue stood abruptly. “Rus, why don’t you help me with the dishes?”

Rus glanced at his brother—then at Grillby, who was frowning. “i’m still eating, bro.”

“No,” Blue said tightly, gathering everyone’s plates. “No, you’re done. Come help me clean up. Please?” He gave Grillby a quick smile. “Love, why don’t you go pick a movie for us? We won’t be a moment.” Grillby looked between them, hesitating. But after receiving a faint look of pleading from Blue, he nodded and left the room. The glow around Blue faded as the door closed. He gave Rus a crisp look before crossing the room and turning on the sink.

Rus stood up slowly. He cleared away the placemats and wiped down the table, then grabbed a dish towel and began to dry the plates as Blue washed them. Neither of them spoke a word. Rus could feel the tension rolling off Blue. Fates, he hated this. “look, blue—”

“I wish you’d just give him a _chance,_ Pap.”

Rus sighed. “i don’t understand why. you don’t have to keep him around. i know you’re not into him.”

“He’s my Soulmate.” Blue’s shoulders were tense. He’d stopped scrubbing the plate in his hand, and was staring firmly at the soapy water.

“so? blue, the guy’s a nightmare.”

“He’s. My Soulmate,” Blue repeated through gritted teeth.

“that doesn’t mean anything!” Rus said, exasperated. “you clearly don’t like him, and you don’t _have_ to like him. you don’t—”

“He’s my _Soulmate,_ Rus!” Blue dropped the plate in the water with a _clank._ Rus swallowed and fell silent. Blue looked up at him, his eye-lights swimming. “I’ll be spending the rest of my life with him. I don’t have…” He shut his eyes and took a deep breath. “You’re just going to have to get used to him. Because he’s not leaving.” His chin was quivering.

Rus dropped his gaze, shaking his head. “blue, i don’t…”

“Why don’t you come sit with us?” Blue said. He inhaled, wiping his hands down on his shirt. “We can worry about these dishes later, okay?” He eyed the sink regretfully. “I think we both just… need a little time. Don’t you agree?”

“... i have to go to work,” Rus said quietly.

A pinched look crossed Blue’s face. “Right. Of course. Client?” Rus nodded, swallowing. Blue schooled his features just a moment too late to hide his distaste. “Very well. Thank you for coming over. Be sure to say goodbye to Grillby on your way out.”

Rus’s soul twisted, but he nodded stiffly and left the kitchen. Grillby glanced up from the sofa as Rus crossed the living room. “Heading off already?” he asked.

“yeah. work.”

Grillby sat up, nodding politely. “Ah. Well, do take care of yourself, Rus. And be sure to stop by at the cafe. You know you’re always welcome.”

Rus swallowed, smiling through clenched teeth. “thanks.”

He teleported home, a pit in his chest. Kitty greeted with a loud mew, and he managed a smile. “hey, cat. how’d you get in?” He was sure he’d closed all the windows before leaving. He sighed when she scampered toward the kitchen. “you’re going to have to start paying rent soon,” he called, following her. After filling a bowl with leftovers for her, he took a shower. Kitty followed him into his bedroom once he was done, rubbing herself against his wet bones. “ugh.” He gave her a stern look when her black fur clung to his legs. “asshole.” She purred.

He gave his room a despairing look. Bed unmade, clothes strewn across the floor and dresser, empty coffee mugs and dirty plates… Fates, he did not have the energy for this. He doubted he’d be able to convince Blue to help him with house cleaning again. Wasn’t really in the mood to ask, anyway.

Kitty strolled in and settled herself on top of his steadily growing pile of laundry. He sighed and stroked her behind the ears. After tying his silk bandana around his arm, he dug through his dresser, in search of clean clothes. He found his only (passably) clean shirt and pulled on a pair of jeans, hoping they smelled alright. He added a little extra cologne for safety.

After getting tagged at the facility, he got onto the train. For a Saturday night, it was quiet. There was still a typical dim pink glow in the air, and a few monsters were comparing soul marks further down the carriage. He ignored them and put his earphones in, sitting down. Leaning his head against the window, he shut his sockets.

Blue’s words rang through his skull like an alarm. _He’s my Soulmate. I’ll be spending the rest of my life with him._ Grillby wasn’t a bad guy. Not really. Sure, he was a pain in the ass—and pretty prejudiced—but he wasn’t a complete dick. Most of the time. And yet…

_He’s my Soulmate._

Rus flexed his jaw, trying to push back those thoughts. It wasn’t his business who his brother chose to love. Or not love. _~~But it wasn’t like he’d actually chosen this. This was something that had been thrust upon him. By the Fates. Or whatever fucked up entity decided when two monsters’ marks glowed.~~_

Distracting himself from his brother’s love life, Rus reached for his phone and studied the profile of tonight’s client. He blinked, surprised by the familiar name. _Edge. 13 LV._ In the evening’s rush, he hadn’t recognised the address. Well. He had a lot of clients. And it had been a good few weeks since he’d serviced Edge.

He swallowed. _13 LV._ It still made his mind swim, honestly. A small part of him wondered if Edge had requested him specifically. It wouldn’t be the first time. He had a few regulars.

A tap on his arm made him flinch. He pulled out an earbud, glancing up irritably. “yeah?”

It was one of the monsters he’d seen comparing marks further down the carriage. She was holding her arm out, displaying an oval-shaped soul mark through thick, matted grey fur. She gave Rus an expectant look. “Well?”

Rus grit his teeth, forcing a polite smile. “no. sorry.”

The monster looked irked. “You have to show me,” she said shortly. “Otherwise we won’t know if we’re Soulmates.”

“big tragedy,” Rus said, lifting his earbud back up. “i’m sure we’ll both move on.” He picked up his phone again, but the monster grabbed his wrist, pushing up his sleeve. “hey! don’t—” Rus tried to pull away, but her grip was like steel. His chest lurched as she tugged away the piece of silk around his wrist. His soul hammered as she stared expectantly at the mark on his wrist. When neither of their marks glowed, she sighed and released his wrist, moving on towards the next passenger.

Rus felt sick. He stared at the carriage floor, struggling to breathe. Hastily, he picked the bandana off the floor and wrapped it back around his ulna. He shoved his sleeve down and pulled his arm to his chest. He could feel the eyes of the other passengers on him. Something was tightening around his chest.

The train slowed down and he glanced up. This was his stop. He jumped up and grabbed his phone, hurrying off the train. The platform was quiet. Not much point hopping off in the middle of nowhere. Not unless you were on your way to a 13 LV client. Rus walked swiftly, still clutching his wrist to his chest. Someone bumped into his shoulder and he flinched, rushing on without apologising.

By the time he reached the sealed gates of Edge’s house, he was shaking. He pressed the buzzer tentatively. “Hello?” Somehow, the familiarity of Edge’s voice was relieving.

“it’s rus.”

“I’ll be right out.”

Rus exhaled. The night was clear, and the moon hung full in the sky, casting light across Edge’s front garden. Neat flowerbeds and pruned hedges. Huh. Rus hadn’t noticed those last time. Edge hadn’t struck Rus as a gardening guy.

Edge emerged at the front door. Again, he’d opted for smart attire. Slacks and a cardigan. Rus briefly entertained the idea of seeing him in cargo pants and a t-shirt, sporting a pair of gardening shears… nope. That didn’t work. Maybe he hired someone to do the garden.

He opened the gate and led Rus inside. The tidiness of his living room reminded Rus (shamefully) of the state of his own apartment. He glanced up at Edge, smiling weakly. “h-how are you?” Damn it. He could still feel himself trembling.

Edge was onto him at once. “Are you okay?”

“of course!” Oh no, that wasn’t what okay people sounded like. Rus’s breathing was uneven. The mark on his wrist felt like it was burning.

_He’s my Soulmate!_

_You have to show me. Otherwise we won’t know if we’re Soulmates._

He chewed his tongue, swallowing tears. “yeah. don’t worry about me, i’m fine.” Fates. Did Edge have to stare at him like that? He felt like his soul was being studied under a microscope.

“Why don’t you sit down?” Edge said, guiding Rus toward the sofa.

“s-sure,” Rus said tremulously, nodding. Edge placed a guiding hand on his shoulder as he sat, watching him.

“I’ll get you some water,” he said.

Rus shook his head. “no, no, don’t worry about it, i’m… okay.” Edge ignored him, disappearing around the corner then returning promptly with a glass in hand. Rus thanked him sheepishly and drank it. Edge sat beside him in silence. He didn’t question Rus, or his current emotional state, or his lateness… he just sat.

“Next time, call me when you get off the train. I’ll meet you at the station.”

Rus looked up, blinking. “no, don’t do that—you don’t have to…”

“Rus. Call me.”

Rus inhaled, squeezing his sockets closed. “i—i’m sorry,” he whispered. “this is very unprofessional of me. you don’t have to… the company will compensate you for your trouble. a-and you can… request someone else—” Rus’s breath stuttered when Edge placed a hand over his own. His eyes were steady, though the crimson was still eerie.

“I require no compensation. And I would like for you to remain my escort for the night.” He frowned then, hesitating. “But the last thing I want to do is force you into a situation you’re not comfortable with.”

“no!” Edge lifted a brow bone and Rus quickly gathered his composure. “i mean—no, i’m okay, really. thank you for… putting up with me.”

“I wouldn’t have requested you specifically if I wasn’t willing to put up with you.”

“glad i made a good impression,” Rus said, smirking.

“You did,” Edge said slowly. “I very much enjoyed your services.” Rus grinned. “But I am more than happy to reschedule. I don’t want you to think I expect anything of you if you’re not—”

“i’m more than up to it, edgelord,” Rus said. Edge lifted a brow bone as Rus finished the rest of his water and placed the glass on the coffee table. He took a deep breath, then leaned in and caught Edge’s mouth with his own. Edge inhaled sharply, but then slowly, relaxed into the kiss. When Rus pulled away, his cheekbones were burning red.

“That’s—” He exhaled. “Rus. Please don’t do anything because you feel you owe me a duty. This won’t impact my evaluation of your performance in the least. I don’t want you to—”

“edge.” Rus smiled. “thank you. i appreciate the concern. but i’m good. i really am.”

Edge nodded, breathing out. “Good. I’m glad.”

“and you? how have you been? magically, i mean.” Rus curled his fingers around Edge’s hand, refocusing his magic, soothing.

“Better. Better than last time, in any case. But I would still like to…” Edge cleared his throat and Rus grinned.

“finish that sentence.”

Edge gave him a dull look. Rolling his eyes, he leaned in, pressing his mouth against Rus’s jaw. “I’d still very much like your permission to fuck you.”

Rus felt his whole body quiver. He nodded steadily, swallowing. “you have it.”

“Thank you,” Edge whispered, and magic pulsed through Rus. Edge’s teeth scraped over his jaw and down his neck, and he sighed, tipping his head back to present his vertebrae. A warm hum rumbled through Edge and he wrapped an arm around Rus’s back, pulling him in. Rus let his eyes fall closed as Edge’s tongue slid across his neck. He cupped the back of Edge’s skull, exhaling.

While Edge made work of his neck, nipping and licking and tasting, Rus let his hands wander over Edge’s body. He felt firm, his bones thick and sturdy. Rus stroked the tip of Edge’s iliac crest, then crept lower, cupping his pelvis through his pants. Edge grunted against him. “Bedroom,” he breathed, heavily.

Rus smiled against his mouth. “not right here?”

“The couch is reserved for tea drinking and oral sex,” Edge said, lifting Rus easily into his arms.

Rus laughed in surprise and clung to him as he carried him across the room. “that sounds like a promise to me.”

Edge nudged the bedroom door open with his foot and lowered Rus onto the bed, leaning over him and kissing him deeply. “Perhaps. I brew an excellent chai.” He knelt between Rus’s legs and lifted him into his arms, kissing him harder. Rus clung to his back and let Edge dominate him, breathing raggedly against his mouth.

“looking forward to it,” he said, laughing breathlessly as Edge ground into him. He could only hold on while Edge rocked against him, pushing him into the mattress and kissing every bone in his neck, shoulders, and jaw. “so.” Rus swallowed while Edge undressed him, carefully undoing the buttons of his shirt then studying his chest and ribs with his fingers and mouth. “may i ask why you requested me again?”

Edge paused, his tongue washing over Rus’s clavicle. “You seem like an intuitive monster, Rus. You figure it out.” He nipped at his neck and reached for his jeans, unzipping them. “Form a cock for me, sweetheart,” he said, smoothing his fingers over Rus’s pubic symphysis.

Rus let his magic congeal at his pelvis, slowly taking shape. “o-oh…” His breath caught as Edge ran his tongue over his pubic symphysis and up his shaft. He ran a finger over the head, and Rus held a whine in his throat. He was seldom asked to use his cock, which made it particularly sensitive on the occasions he did. He watched with magic in his mouth as Edge dipped his head and ran his tongue over the tip. “o-oh—don’t!” Rus cried, slapping a hand over his mouth.

Edge stopped immediately and withdrew. “Don’t?”

Rus bit his tongue. “i... i’m going to come if you do that.”

“That doesn’t strike me as a problem.”

“but—?” Rus considered Edge, frowning. “don’t you want me to…?” He gestured vaguely at Edge’s pelvis. Edge lifted a brow bone. “f-fuck you?” Rus elaborated, blushing.

“Oh, I’d much rather ride you,” Edge said, dragging his fingers down Rus’s lower spine.

Rus inhaled shakily. “b-but…”

“Are you uncomfortable with that?” Edge asked, studying him.

“oh—fuck no.”

“Good.” Edge leaned down and kissed him. He swiped his tongue into Rus’s mouth, gentle. Rus heard the sound of Edge’s belt buckle unclipping, then felt the soft warmth of his magic against his cock. He gasped into Edge’s mouth as Edge began to grind down on him.

“How does that feel?” Edge murmured, mouth on Rus’s jaw. Rus’s soft moan of response drew a quiet noise of satisfaction from Edge. He caught Rus’s hand and guided it to his cunt. “I want you to touch me,” he breathed, a growl slipping into his voice. Rus felt a familiar crackle of LOVE. It only lasted a second, but it was enough to give away the desperation in Edge.

He stroked Edge’s clit slowly, pressing a finger just inside his entrance, making it wet. He dragged it across his clit, and Edge’s breaths became harsh. He ground down onto Rus’s fingers and gripped his wrist, holding him still. Their gazes met, and Rus felt magic flooding his mouth. Edge’s face was flushed and he was panting. “Come on, Rus,” he said, voice gravelly. “Harder than that.”

Rus pressed his finger deep inside Edge, and he groaned. He added a second finger and Edge sank down, forcing Rus to push deeper. “Fuck, I want you inside me,” Edge gasped, slowly riding Rus’s fingers.

Rus hummed, breathing heavily. “you’re the boss. make it happen.”

Edge met Rus’s eye with a fierceness that made his cock twitch. He sat up and Rus’s fingers slipped out of him. He leaned forward and Rus whimpered softly when the head of his cock pressed between Edge’s folds. Edge cupped his face, sinking slowly. “Fuck, you’re beautiful.” Rus’s breath hitched and he bit back a moan. “You feel so fucking good. Fates, you don’t even know how much I need you right now.”

“hah…” Rus swallowed, closing his eyes and breathing slowly. “oh fuck…” Tight warmth closed around his cock and he gasped, clutching onto Edge’s hips. “oh that feels really fucking nice, edgelord.”

Edge hummed, his voice husky, and began to ride Rus gently. Rus reached for his face and Edge caught his wrist, pinning it to the bed, pushing him down. He caught Rus around the neck and pressed down—enough to make Rus’s breath catch, but not hard enough to be painful. “Fuck I just need to feel you. Let me feel you.”

Rus breathed heavily, channelling magic into his projections. He was entirely at Edge’s mercy. At the mercy of a monster with _thirteen_ LOVE. Yet he felt completely at ease.

As the push of his projections grew, he felt Edge relax on top of him, sinking lower and taking him deeper. Rus tipped his head back, whining, and Edge growled, riding him harder. “More, Rus. _Fuck._ I need more.” He bounced himself on Rus’s cock, their magic slapping together wetly.

“ah! fuck, edge, _fuck._ ” Rus was breathless, his mind lost in a haze of pleasure. He could feel magic rushing through him—a mingle of arousal and soothing.

“ _Oh,_ that’s it. That’s it, Rus. Come inside me, sweetheart. There you go. You’re such a good boy.”

In a rush, Rus’s climax was washing over him. Edge held him down, riding him through it. He rubbed a finger over his clit, and Rus felt his walls convulsing around his softening cock. “Thank you,” Edge breathed, kissing Rus’s neck. “That felt good. So fucking good.”

Rus lay beneath him, his breaths coming in short gasps. Slowly, Edge climbed off him and lay down next to him. “Hey.” He stroked Rus’s arm, his touch careful. “How are you feeling? Was that too much?”

“fuck no,” Rus said. “i just—gah.” He wiped a bead of sweat from his skull. “you’re damn good at that.”

Edge hummed. “So it would seem.”

Rus glanced at him. “and you? was that up to your standards?”

Edge looked away with a soft huff of laughter. “You don’t even know.”

Rus bit his tongue, trying not to smile. “that’s. that’s good to hear.”

“I may need to go again. In a few minutes.”

Rus looked at him, grinning. “oh?”

“It takes a lot to satisfy me.”

“i do aim to satisfy.” Rus closed his eyes and leaned back into the pillows, letting his body soften. Magic trickled through him. He wasn’t quite spent, but his reserves were waning.

Beside him, Edge let out a low sigh. “Fates, you’re good at that.”

Rus glanced at him, amused. “sex? i know. it’s my job.”

Edge shook his head. “Not that—well, yes that. But I meant the… magic. The aura. You know?” He sighed and leaned back. “Thank you, Tale-verse.”

Rus snorted. “tale-verse? we’re already giving each other pet names?”

Edge looked at him firmly. “No.”

Rus pressed his teeth together to hold back his laughter, glancing away. Their soft, steady breaths filled the room. Something itched at the back of Rus’s mind. Swallowing, he glanced at Edge, studying him.

His sockets were closed. Even in this, a moment of silent peace, he looked harsh. Thin scar striking through his right socket, sharp features, serrated teeth, thick bones, rough scars—

“Something on your mind?” Edge asked without opening his eyes.

“i…” Rus looked away. “do you mind if i ask you something… a little personal?” he said quietly.

Edge turned to regard him. “That depends on the nature of the question.”

“it’s about… your lv.”

Edge’s expression hardened, growing defensive. “What about it?”

“you just don’t—you’re very in control. it’s impressive.” Rus swallowed, regretful. “i’m sorry, sensitive subject. i shouldn’t have…” He fell silent.

Edge had gone stiff beside him, and guilt gnawed at Rus’s chest. The wind outside and the sound of a lone passing car were all that stirred the silence. “It’s getting late,” Edge said, his voice low. He climbed off the bed, tugging his pants back up. “I’ll walk you to the train station.”

“right.” Rus couldn’t help the sinking feeling in his chest. “edge, i’m sorry. i didn’t mean—”

“Let’s not talk about it,” Edge said shortly. Rus nodded, looking down.

The walk to the station was uncomfortable. Edge didn’t speak, and Rus couldn’t quite find the right words to break the tension of the silence. At the gates, Edge stopped. “Thank you for this evening,” he said politely.

Rus nodded, looking at his shoes. “yeah, it’s not a problem.”

“Take care of yourself,” Edge said, turning around.

“bye,” Rus said, too quiet for him to hear.

It was well after midnight when Rus arrived home, a tired ache in his bones. Too weary to shower, he climbed into bed, still dressed. He shifted Kitty aside, and she mewed in surprise, looking up at him sleepily. “budge over, this is my bed,” he murmured. She rubbed her head against him and purred. Sighing, he conceded to occupy a fifth of the corner of the bed. The rest belonged to her, apparently.

Even as sleep slowly wore him down, a prickle of shame scratched at Rus’s insides. Shame for bringing up Edge’s LV. Edge had been so good to him this evening. Patient and considerate. And Rus had been… tactless. Well. His time with Edge had been nice while it had lasted.

Or, so he thought. The next morning, he received a text from his handler. Edge had put in a request to be taken on as one of his regular clients.


	3. Tale-verse presence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edge isn't quite the master of control he tries so hard to be, and he reveals something that comes as a bit of a shock to Rus. We also get a deeper look into the differences between Fell-verse and Tale-verse monsters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: LV issues and a situation that almost turns violent.
> 
> Only very briefly NSFW--this chapter focuses more on hurt/comfort and character relationships.

Taking Edge on as a regular client meant Rus would have to sacrifice his Saturday nights. The extra working day would likely leave him stumbling into Sunday rather worn out. And Rus had to admit, the prospect of regularly servicing a monster with 13 LV was more than a little daunting. Though Edge had yet to give any indication of aggressive tendencies, it was probably best to remain wary.

Though admittedly, Rus was having a rather difficult time doing so. Sex was sex, good sex was _great_ sex (in this profession, at least). And sex with Edge really was… pretty darn great. Part of Rus wondered if he’d just grown used to the bad sex he often engaged in with clients, but… no. Edge was definitely good.

Taking on a regular client wasn’t normally a huge deal. A little extra paperwork, signing an agreement that ‘ _This relationship not extend beyond that of a formal work environment, and that no Unfaithful activity take place_ ’. Rus had a whopping total of two regular clients. He’d had more in the past, but a few had signed off after finding their Soulmates. Taking on another would mean a small increase in pay, but that wasn’t the primary factor at play here.

_13 LV._

Rus still felt guilty for questioning Edge about it. It was rather a personal thing—he knew that. And a large part of his job was helping monsters forget their LV. It wasn’t strictly against contract to discuss clients’ LV, but it was advised against. Rus had forgotten himself. Taken Edge as a friend as opposed to a client. He wouldn’t make that mistake again.

As a compromise to himself, he agreed to treat Edge as a regular client for a trial period. Once that period elapsed, they would have the option of renewing the contract—or terminating it. Rus wasn’t sure who he was kidding, taking Edge on as a regular would be of _huge_ benefit to him (and not just financially). But…

_13 LV._

Yeah. Trial period. Just to be safe.

For the first few weeks of the trial period, things ran smoothly. Edge scheduled weekly sessions, which was more than his other regulars did, but Rus got the sense he was in greater need than most of his clients.

And things went pretty well. Good sex, no disastrous LV incidents—the conversation was a little stiff, but Rus blamed himself for that. It wasn’t exactly surprising that Edge was less than eager to open up to him. He seemed willing to entertain Rus’s weak attempts at friendliness. If not a little gruffly. But that was just Edge, as Rus was quickly coming to learn.

They were five weeks into the trial period and Rus was beginning to consider proposing an extension of the contract. As far as he was concerned, there would be no obvious hitches in their professional relationship. 13 LV or not, Edge was a model of self-control. Sure, he was a little high-strung, but in a sort of endearing way. And the sum he was paying Rus was pretty attractive too.

Yet it was the very Saturday night session of the fifth week when things turned… somewhat sour.

The evening began as normal. Edge met Rus at the train station and escorted him home—providing his usual supply of conversation (none). He asked Rus to bottom, spent an adequate length of time prepping him, then lowered him onto his back and entered him slowly.

Rus clung to Edge while he rocked in and out of him, groaning softly. “fuck,” Rus breathed. “you always feel so good inside me, precious.” He ran his teeth along Edge’s jaw, nipping gently. Edge grunted and pressed him harder into the mattress, pushing deeper into him. He didn’t speak, which was… a little unusual. He wasn’t exactly vocal, but he tended to throw a few dirty lines around here and there.

Rus stroked his cheekbone with his fingertips. “hey, you okay?” Edge went still, tensing up. Rus frowned. That definitely wasn’t normal. He squirmed, trying to free himself from Edge’s arms to get a better look at him. “edge?” Rus swallowed. Edge didn’t budge, but his arms were trembling around Rus. This… this wasn’t an orgasm. Or anything similar. No, there was something wrong. Very, very wrong.

“edge—hey, talk to me.” Rus struggled in Edge’s arms, but they grew tighter around him. Edge’s breathing became harsh and strained—almost choked. “e-edge.” Panic bubbled inside Rus. Edge’s magic had dispelled itself, but there was another form of magic in the air. Sharper magic. Dangerous.

Through his panting, Edge gripped Rus’s shoulders, fingers digging in. Rus cried out. “edge, that hurts. ah, fuck! please, s-stop. you’re hurting me!” Rus whimpered and Edge looked at him sharply. Only, his eye-lights had disappeared, leaving his sockets empty and black. If looks could kill…

Well, this look just might.

Rus closed his eyes. He tried not to cry, tried to focus on the steps he’d been taught for dealing with these situations. Had he been taught anything? He couldn’t remember. He couldn’t remember how to do anything but cry. He couldn’t even muster so much as a scream for help. “please,” he whispered, breath hitching. “edge, please don’t…”

Edge let go of him. Rus kept his eyes shut and felt Edge’s weight leaving him. The bed shifted and he heard the door opening and closing. Then, the room was still.

Rus lay rooted to the bed, eyes still squeezed shut. His body felt static, magic rushing through him in frantic confusion. Slowly, _slowly,_ he opened his eyes and found the room empty. No Edge. No burning crimson magic ready to slice him apart. He took a few moments to catch his breath before climbing off the bed and putting his clothes back on.

He found Edge in the living room. There was a fire crackling in the hearth and he was sitting on the carpet in front of it, staring at the flames. Rus hesitated in the shadows, watching him closely. Now might be his only chance to slip away. He couldn’t tell if Edge had settled down or if he was just… still.

Well, Rus had never been terribly clever.

Cautiously, he approached, stopping a safe distance away from him. He swallowed. “are you okay?” he asked quietly.

Edge turned around slowly. He was frowning. It was his scary frown, but not his ‘ready to murder you’ scary frown. Just his Edge frown. He glanced over Rus, examining him. “Are you?”

“i’m fine.”

Edge nodded and turned away. “Good. You should leave now.”

A lump rose heavily in Rus’s throat. “do you want me to go?”

It took a long moment for Edge to reply. “I need you to leave.”

Rus watched him with uncertainty. His shoulders were hunched and heavy. He looked tired beyond sleep, and… sad. Wringing his hands together, Rus made a tentative approach towards him. “i... i think i should stay.”

“No.” Edge’s tone was firm, dangerous. “Don’t. You need to go.”

Rus took a step onto the carpet. There were only a few feet between them now. “you need me. i can help.”

“I’ll hurt you,” Edge hissed, turning around sharply. Rus froze, but didn’t retreat. He looked Edge in the eye, determined not to back down. “Rus please. I don’t want to hurt you. Please go.”

Firmly, Rus shook his head. “no,” he said, inching closer. He reached out with his magic, exhaling and projecting _peace, soothing, safety._ He pushed with all his force, despite how much it drained him.

“Oh…” Edge slumped back against the coffee table, shoulders sinking, body going lax. “Fuck you.”

“i think that can wait. how are you feeling?”

“Ugh.” Edge shakily lifted his middle finger. “How… how are you so good?”

Rus folded his arms. “i actually consider myself a bit of a bad boy—”

“Oh, shut the fuck up, Tale-verse.” Edge sighed, his sockets dropping closed. “Being around you. It’s good. It feels _so_ good.”

“well usually i’m the one around you. you’re more of an inside man.”

Edge grunted. “I’ve come to quite dislike the sound of your voice.”

Slowly, Rus lowered himself onto the carpet next to him. The fire crackled, warm on his face. Tentatively, he reached for Edge—but he flinched away. “Don’t.” He’d gone stiff again. “Don’t touch me. I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

Rus swallowed and nodded, letting his hand fall. He refocused his magic, trying to amplify his projections. “Don’t push yourself too hard,” Edge said, sounding dopey. “I’m not worth it.”

“it’s my job to help.”

“Then you’re an idiot.” Edge sighed and looked up at Rus through half-lidded sockets. “Do me a favour, will you? Next time I do something like that, I want you to fucking run.”

Rus bit on his tongue. “next time?”

Edge looked sullen. He turned away from Rus and closed his eyes again, breathing slowly. “My sanity isn’t worth your life, Tale-verse.” He sighed, shadows dancing across his face. “I suppose this is the end of our contract,” he said quietly. There was regret in his voice. “I can only thank you for all you’ve done for me so far.”

Rus frowned. “are you serious? i haven’t given you permission to back out of this contract. it’s still in effect.”

Edge shook his head, laughing weakly. “You must have a death wish.”

“no, you’re just great in bed,” Rus said, deadpan.

“I know,” Edge said. “And I am paying you very generously. I suppose I can’t fault you for wanting to continue this agreement.”

Rus rolled his eye-lights. “yeah, i’d risk my life for a few pieces of g.”

Edge glanced at him, brow raised. “Wouldn’t you?”

“no,” Rus said flatly.

“Then why? Good sex?”

“because—because i like helping!” Rus said, exasperated.

“I’m not a charity case.”

“ _you_ hired me.”

“I hired you so I could fuck you.”

Ouch. Okay. That one stung a bit. I mean—it was technically true, but…

Rus studied Edge, frowning, and Edge regarded him impassively. “if you’re trying to get me to leave, it’s not going to work,” Rus said stubbornly. “we still have forty minutes left. and you’re going to accept my company whether you want it or not.”

Daringly, he inched closer to Edge. Hearing no protests, he leaned against Edge’s shoulder—slowly at first, then all the way when Edge was silent. “you like this,” he said softly. “don’t try to lie. you called me tale-verse.”

Edge sighed. “So I did.” Then, very quietly, “Thank you.”

“you’re welcome. stubborn bitch.”

“Don’t push it, Rus.”

The silence of the room felt peaceful now, the air free from its earlier tension. Rus watched the flames flicker in front of his eyes, then fade to embers. He leaned his head on Edge’s shoulder, closing his sockets. He breathed him in. He even smelled sharp. Not in an unpleasant way. It was a nice kind of sharp. Comforting. Safe. Edge.

Though he remained very Fell-verse, he felt warmer now. A subtle kind of calm that was hidden beneath layers of mistrust and metaphorical armour. Rus could feel himself sinking into him, his body going slack.

“It should be lower.” Edge spoke quietly.

Rus’s daze broke. He glanced up. “hm?”

“My LV. It shouldn’t be as high as it is.”

“… oh.”

Edge looked pensive. His eye-lights burned low, like the dying embers in the fireplace. “Once a monster gets to about ten, they start becoming unstable. I… I owe my Soulmate for keeping me from falling off the precipice.”

What.

Rus’s breath stuck in his throat. “your—?” He opened his mouth and choked. “your s-soulmate?” The calm washed away. He felt sick. No—this. This couldn’t be…? Surely Edge wasn’t the type of person to…?

Edge looked at him and laughed. “You have nothing to worry about. I’m an honest monster.” Rus watched apprehensively as he pushed his sleeve up, revealing his soul mark. He stared at it. Unlike his own, it was deep red. Embedded into the bone like an old scar. It had found its match.

“but—”

“Undyne and I—we’re not Soulmates in the typical sense. We’re not—not together. Not like that. I’m hardly her type anyway.”

“o-okay.” Rus squeezed his sockets closed, waiting for his mind to catch up. “okay. and—and she’s okay with you hiring a—me?”

“Well, I certainly hope so. Since she is the one who forced—” Edge cleared his throat. “… encouraged me to do it.” His hard expression shifted to amusement when he glanced up at Rus. “You look worried.”

Shaking his head, Rus frowned. “no—i’ve just—i’ve never met soulmates who… it’s just…”

“Unorthodox? Messed up? Unfaithful?”

“oh! fates, no.” Rus laughed weakly. “it’s refreshing, honestly.” He looked at Edge and narrowed his sockets. “i can’t really help but feel like a bit of a…”

“Mistress?” Rus shrugged and Edge chuckled. Genuinely. It was a nice sound. “You’re not, believe me. I have her full support in this. Whether I want it or not.”

Rus nodded slowly, looking away. It still felt weird. He couldn’t help but sneak another glance at the dark red mark on Edge’s arm. It was shaped almost like a sun, round but jagged. It was alarming to think that there was another mark just like it out there, on someone else’s arm.

“I’m sorry, Rus,” Edge said, sighing. Rus looked at him, blinking.

“for what?”

“For tonight—for all this. I—it shouldn’t have happened. It’s my fault, really.”

“edge, it’s not—”

“I stopped taking the suppressants,” Edge said.

Rus opened his mouth, then shut it. “i—oh. that’s…”

“I know.” Edge frowned. “They make me… slow. My magic goes sluggish. It’s been affecting my ability to perform at work. I thought our sessions would be enough to keep me sedated. They have been helping—really. They’ve been fantastic. But I shouldn’t have endangered you like that. I’m… I’m so sorry.”

Rus stared at him, then slowly shook his head, looking down. “it’s okay,” he said, fiddling with a thread on the carpet.

“It’s not.”

“well. no. it’s not really. but... don’t beat yourself up over it, okay?”

Edge smiled weakly. “I’ll try not to.”

“don’t.” Rus leaned against him again, closing his eyes. “or i’ll have to do it.”

“It would be amusing watching you try.”

“you’re an asshole.”

Edge’s arm crept around Rus’s waist, and he pulled him in. It wasn’t… intimate, exactly. The press of their bodies was light, more of an afterthought. Rus could feel Edge putting out waves of warmth—a kind contrast to the spikes of sharp violence from earlier.

They stayed there for the remainder of the hour.

 

****

 

Every Sunday morning, Rus met up with Slim for breakfast. Slim was probably the only Fell-verse monster Rus spent time with, but didn’t sleep with. And he was beginning to question whether it was worth getting out of bed at the ungodly hour of nine o’clock on a Sunday morning just to have breakfast with him. Especially after last night’s session with Edge. He’d hardly been able to sleep.

They always visited the same place—a small café near Slim’s place. In a less-than-neighbourly part of town, but it wasn’t bad. The coffee was good, the pastries were… slightly less good—but the company was what they really came for.

They’d chosen a small table near a corner window this morning. Slim eyed Rus over his coffee. “rough night?” he asked, winking.

“you don’t even know. don’t wanna talk about my work, though. how’s yours?”

Slim shrugged. “same old. doctor’s been working on her robotic limbs for pets. had another kitten with magic poisoning yesterday.” He pulled a face. “managed to fix him up, but you’d think people would’ve learnt by now not to feed their pets monster food.”

“pets are monsters,” Rus said, thinking of Kitty.

Slim sipped his coffee. “you’re an asshole. but come on. you know i love hearing about your escapades with the dark side, sweet-verse.” Rus stuck out his tongue at the nickname. “tell me about it.”

Rus rolled his eye-lights. “well, you know me. just doing my part to serve the afflicted monsters of the fell community.” He took a long swallow of coffee, thinking about Edge.

“ah yes, you’re a real martyr. spreading your legs for us.”

Rus snorted. “just an ordinary citizen doing the right thing.”

“fates, you sound like my brother—only less self-righteous.”

“don’t insult me,” Rus scoffed. “how is he?”

Slim shrugged, pouring maple syrup over his pancakes. “eh, much the same… lv’s been getting to him a bit,” he added quietly.

Rus hummed and bit into his croissant, chewing slowly. Slim was looking out the window, pensive. “well,” Rus began, swallowing. “just make sure he doesn’t hire me to lend him a hand. you know i’m always happy to do my part for this community, but i’m not fucking your brother.”

“ugh. don’t even say that,” Slim said, grimacing. “you know he actually asked me about it once.”

Rus pulled a face. “he did?”

“i believe his exact words were ‘would it make you uncomfortable if i fucked that… [redacted] friend of yours’.”

“aw, come on,” Rus whined. “what was it?”

Slim shook his head. “nope.”

“whore? hooker? slut?”

Slim snorted. “not a chance.”

“well, at least he asked,” Rus said, finishing off the rest of his coffee.

“i told him he’d have to pay you double.”

“triple,” Rus corrected. Slim smirked and took a bite of syrup soaked pancake. “but... really. how has he been? with... all the lv stuff?” Rus tried to keep his tone casual.

“better,” Slim said, glancing at him with a raised brow bone. “since he went back on the suppressants and started scheduling more escort sessions.”

Rus nodded, chewing his tongue. “so, no more… episodes?”

“no. why?”

Rus hesitated, then sighed. “one of my clients…” Slim’s expression darkened and Rus grimaced. “smoke?” Frowning, Slim nodded. They left a few pieces of G on the table and headed outside.

The cafe was wedged into the side of a steep cliff that overlooked the city’s central highway. Cars rushed by on the road below them. There was a breeze in the air, heavy with the smell of the city—morning food stalls, coffee, oil.

Rus and Slim ducked into the alley wedged between the cafe and the cliffside. Rus pulled his lighter out of his pocket and lit Slim’s cigarette, then his own. The smoke carried in the wind, tainting the cool air.

“so, what?” Slim said, breaking the silence first. “client go off on you?”

“something like that,” Rus mumbled, flicking ash onto the ground.

Slim motioned for him to continue. “and?”

Rus shrugged. “and he stopped.”

“did he hurt you?”

Rus rolled his shoulders. They still ached a little. “i’ll be fine.”

Slim’s jaw tightened. “rus…”

“no—look, it didn’t get that far, alright? i’m okay.”

Slim sighed, taking a long inhale from his cigarette. “you left after that, right?”

Rus pressed the end of his half-smoked cigarette against the wall, extinguishing it. “no,” he said quietly. “i stayed.”

Slim spun to stare at him, brow bones furrowed. “rus, what the fuck is wrong with you?”

Rus gave him an irritated look. “i wasn’t aware it was your business.”

“damn it, rus, i’m just trying to look out for you. you—you’re tale-verse. you can’t—” He sighed, tipping his head back and shutting his eyes. He looked pained. “you don’t know what lv can do to a monster. not really. you can’t.” Rus watched him, fidgeting with the strings of his hoodie. There was a thick lump in his chest.

“when we—when fell monsters were at war with the humans, sometimes…” Slim inhaled and dropped his cigarette, grinding it out with the heel of his shoe. “lv makes you hungry. the more you gain, the more you need. and sometimes, when there were no humans around, monsters would turn on each other. just for a taste of it.”

A sick pit weighed on Rus’s soul. Slim seldom talked about the war. No one did, really. It had been a long time ago, and Fell monsters didn’t like to remember.

Slim looked distant, somber. He shook his head, giving Rus an apologetic look. “hey, i’m sorry, man. i just—i don’t want to see you get hurt because of some fell bullshit, you know?”

“it’s not… bullshit,” Rus said slowly. “it’s just something that happened to you.”

Slim laughed, shaking his head. “you’re too good, tale-verse. have i told you that?”

Rus’s chest lurched. Fates, it may as well have been Edge saying those words. He smiled, scuffing his shoe against the ground. “yeah. you’ve mentioned it once or twice.”

“you guys have some weird laws, i’ll admit—never got the soulmate stuff—but…” He nudged Rus’s arm with his fist. “being around you. it. it feels good, you know?”

“yeah,” Rus said, smiling faintly. “i know.”


	4. Spending time with the family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blue breaks some unwelcome news, and Rus is invited over for dinner with Edge's family. Things go... well. Yes. Well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for fantasy religion and religious preaching (specifically, against certain relationships). I'm not sure if this warning is necessary, but I'd prefer to be safe.

Rus wasn’t sure why he’d let Blue to convince him to attend Saturday prayer at the Soul Temple, but here he was. He sat with his head bowed, dozing while the Priest droned on about respecting the Fates and continuing hope in the search for the other half of your Soul and all that crap. Rus’s coccyx ached from the wooden bench. He snuck a glance at his phone. Fates, had this guy really been going on for a whole hour?

Blue elbowed him in the ribs when he yawned loudly, giving him a stern look. Rus stuck out his tongue and rolled his eye-lights. Sighing, Blue returned his attention to the altar. Beside him, Grillby looked on, hands folded neatly in the lap of his pale green suit. Through his glasses, his eyes were bright, and he nodded along while the Priest spoke. Rus huffed and sunk back in his seat, folding his arms.

The glow between Blue and Grillby had deepened from the pale pink of new Soulmates, to a darker magenta. It made Rus’s insides squirm. How they’d managed to put up with each other this long was beyond him.

“... and in the search for your Soulmates, you must remember to cast aside all thoughts of Unfaithfulness. Those are demons which you must battle. Do not yield to the temptations of Unfaithfulness. The Fates have a plan for everyone. Let patience be your guiding light…”

Rus had never been particularly religious. Sure, it had been drilled into him at school—the power of the Fates and their plan for every Soulmate—but frankly, he’d found it awfully boring. In fact, he distinctly remembered sneaking out of religion class to watch the kids in the year above him throw rocks at the principal’s window.

Blue had eaten it up since day one. He’d been looking forward to meeting his Soulmate his whole life. Since he’d left striped shirts he’d been attending mixers, Soul searching parties, singles bars—until at last he’d found Grillby. And here they were.

Rus sometimes wondered if his brother truly was as happy as he tried so hard to put forth. This was what he’d been waiting for his whole life, wasn’t it? A Soulmate. The ‘One’. He had everything he’d been asking for…

Rus wondered how often he told himself that.

“And as always,” the Priest said, closing his book and smiling at the congregation below him. “Have faith. Your Soulmate is out there, waiting for you. The Fates have foretold it. Thank you all for attending. May the Fates watch over you.”

“May the Fates watch over you,” echoed the congregation, before they began to disband.

Stretching, Rus stood up, his bones clicking stiffly. “well, that was…” He caught his brother’s sharp look and chuckled. “informative.”

“Faith Berrick always has some interesting points to make,” Grillby said cheerfully, standing up and dusting his suit. “Don’t you agree, Blue?”

Blue blinked, then quickly composed a smile and nodded. “Oh—yes, absolutely.” He folded his hands behind his back and looked up at his brother. “Rus, will you be joining us for tea now?” he asked. _smooth change of subject, bro_.

Only now, Rus was under scrutiny. “i, uh…” _Damn it._ He really should have come with an excuse prepared. He conceded, shrugging. “yeah, sure.”

“Oh, how wonderful!” Grillby said, giving Rus a warm smile. “It’s been so long since you’ve visited the cafe.”

“not much of a coffee person, i guess.”

Blue cleared his throat. “Shall we head off, then?”

Grillby cast a glance out the window. Raindrops trickled down the stained green glass, and his expression turned sour. “Oh dear… I suppose we’ll have to catch a taxi.” He glanced at Rus. “Will that be a problem for you, love?”

Rus’s soul churned at the thought. “i… i can just catch the train,” he said with a wry smile.

“Oh but Papy, that would take at least an hour. The station’s so far from here.” Blue stroked Rus’s arm, smiling sweetly. “You don’t have anything to worry about. It’s only a short drive.”

Rus squirmed, scratching the back of his skull. He hummed, rolling his shoulders, then sighed. “fine.”

Blue’s expression brightened and he took Rus by the arm—then Grillby, leading them to the terrace outside the Temple. Other prayer attendants were filing out, putting up umbrellas and running to their cars. Rus held his marked arm against his chest, cold and bitter. Pinks and reds and greens glowed through the mist of the rain around them, Soulmates walking hand-in-hand. Rus shrugged himself out of Blue’s hold, trailing behind him and Grillby as they hurried through the rain, Blue shielding Grillby with a large umbrella.

 

It was a small blessing that the drive to MTT Square was short. Rus spent the entire journey with his head against the cool glass of the cab window, trying to swallow back bile. He was the first out of the car when it pulled up outside the square, and he stood for a moment, leaning on his knees to reorient himself.

He followed Blue and Grillby across the square. A small crowd had gathered at its centre, holding signs and banners, shouting words that blended together. The rain had stopped, but Blue insisted on keeping the umbrella over Grillby’s head. “I’m just looking out for you, sweetheart,” he said when Grillby protested. “I don’t want you getting singed.”

The hems of Rus’s track pants grew damp as he trudged through the puddles which had settled in the small divots of the ground. The MTT Square, so named for the prestigious hotel which stretched around it, was the gem of the city. Its gardens flourished throughout the year—even in the colder seasons, when magic was used to keep the flowers growing. It was home to some of the most elaborate architecture in the city—and its wealthiest residents.

Grillby turned a sour eye on the crowd of protestors. “Oh really, not this again.” Rus glanced at the crowd and caught sight of a slogan on one of the signs. ‘Legalise non-Soulmate relationships!’ Grillby sighed as Blue walked him to the door. “... tainting the good image of the MTT. Lobbying for Unfaithfulness—and what does Mettaton do about it? Nothing! He doesn’t even seem to realise what sort of an image it gives our business…” His grumbling faded as Rus fell behind.

Police officers were stationed at each corner of the square, surveying the rally closely. They didn’t seem to be interfering. “Pap!” Rus looked up at the sound of his name. Blue was standing at the café door, beckoning him. “Come inside, before you get wet.”

Rus felt the tell-tale prickle of raindrops against his bones again and walked quickly inside. He was greeted by warmth and the familiar scent of coffee. Being part of the MTT Hotel itself, the cafe was lavish, painted silver and blue, brand new in appearance, but it had been operating for years. And quite successfully at that. Blue, green, and orange fire sprites floated around the room, carrying trays three times their size, and small notebooks where they scrawled patrons’ orders.

Rus wiped the raindrops off his skull and followed Blue to the booth Grillby had secured them. “Now, you two order whatever you want—I need to go speak with my staff,” Grillby told them, before disappearing behind the counter. A small blue sprite approached them and took their respective orders, returning with them in under a minute. Well. Let it not be said that Grillby didn’t run a hell of a business.

Rus sipped his coffee in silence, leaning against the window. Rain spat against the glass, and in the square outside, monsters rushed for cover. The protestors were the only ones who stood strong, determined as ever. Rus caught a few more of the signs— ‘Equal rights for ALL Souls!’ and ‘The Fates don’t get to choose who I love’.

“Working tonight?” Blue asked, interrupting Rus’s thoughts.

“no, client cancelled.” Rus took a bitter sip of his coffee. He and Edge were still technically in the trial period portion of the contract, but they both seemed in silent agreement that they would be extending it. Which was why Rus had been surprised when Edge had told the company he’d be cancelling tonight’s session.

“Oh. I’m… sorry?”

Rus shrugged, ignoring his brother’s insincerity. “‘s not a big deal. guess i have the night off. how about you? any classes this weekend?” Blue worked as a personal trainer at the gym just down the street from here. His group trained a lot of the city’s big names—including Mettaton himself.

“Um. No.” Blue took a long sip of coffee, and Rus frowned, sensing he was about to share something important. “I actually cancelled all my classes this weekend… to spend time with Grillby. We’re—” He dropped his gaze, going quiet. “We’re going to discuss bonding.”

Rus’s marrow ran cold. He stared at Blue. He’d heard wrong—he _must_ have. “you’re…”

Blue sighed. “Pap, it’s not really any of your business.”

Rus sank back in his chair, nodding slowly. “you’re right. i just…” His fist tightened on the table and he shut his eyes, inhaling. Picking up his coffee, he downed the rest of the mug. It burned his throat. “i think i’m going to head off early.”

Blue frowned. “Rus…”

“blue. i just. i need to be alone, okay?” He slid out of the booth and stood up. “i’ll. see you later. i guess.” Blue’s eye-lights faded as he watched Rus go.

Outside, the crowds had grown, despite the sudden downpour. Rus pulled his hoodie over his skull and hurried through the square. He squeezed his way past the gathered crowds watching the protest—others were joining. Ducking his head, he walked quickly.

The station was a good twenty-minute walk from here. He’d probably find himself with a bit of a cold tomorrow, but that was a fair trade-off for catching a taxi all the way to his side of town. It was too far to teleport. That was fine. So long as he wasn’t here. He just. He needed to be home. Or away from his brother. Whatever.

In his haste, he knocked into something solid. “sorry,” he muttered, looking up. “i didn’t—” His soul fluttered. “edge.”

Dressed in uniform, standing rigid—Edge looked just as surprised as Rus felt. “Rus. I—what are you doing here?”

Rus pulled his hood down and glanced over his shoulder. “i was just… coffee—you’re on duty?”

Edge nodded, his brow furrowed. “Yes.” He glanced at the crowd. “Not that there’s been much work to do.”

“right.”

This. This was weird. Rus never had contact with his clients outside of work—accidental or not. Neither of them met each other’s eye. Rus wrapped his arms around himself as the rain pattered down on him. Edge cleared his throat and Rus glanced up. “I’m sorry for cancelling tonight. Family dinner.”

Rus shook his head. “no, it’s… fine.” He bit his tongue. “well, i should probably get—”

“You should come,” Edge blurted.

Rus blinked. “what?”

Edge shut his eyes for a moment, inhaling. “I mean. You’re welcome to. To join us. Tonight. For dinner.”

Rus’s brow bones went up. “oh. i…”

“Of course, you’re not obligated. It’s merely an invitation. I understand if you would prefer not to—”

“no, i’d love to!” Rus snapped his mouth shut, clearing his throat. “uh—i mean—as long as i’m not intruding.”

“Not at all. I—we’d be glad to have you.”

“thank you.” Rus smiled. “that sounds nice.” His other options were dinner with his brother (and Grillby)—or getting takeout and sitting at home alone.

The faintest of smiles softened Edge’s hard expression. “Good. Six o’clock.”

Rus nodded. “six o’clock. i’ll be there.” He turned and walked away, entirely mindless of the rain soaking him. When he reached the road, he dared a quick glance over his shoulder and found Edge watching him. He looked away at once, returning his attention to the protest. Rus dipped his head and smiled to himself.

****

In hindsight, Rus really wished he’d asked Edge for more details about tonight’s dinner. Was there a dress code? Should he bring anything? What was his family like? Holy crap, what if they _hated_ him?

In the end, he picked out a simple pair of slacks and a soft orange blouse. Pretty fancy for his standards, but nothing beyond Edge’s typical level of dress. He rolled up his sleeves after studying his reflection in the mirror—Edge couldn’t think he was trying too hard.

He also bought a bottle of wine. People brought wine to these things, right? He probably paid a lot more for it than he needed to, but he really didn’t know what the standard was here. And expensive wine was supposed to taste better, wasn’t it?

Untagged, he was able to teleport to Edge’s house for a change. He rang the buzzer at six o’clock sharp (though he’d been ready since a quarter-past five, pacing his apartment while Kitty trotted after him, demanding food). Edge met him outside and Rus handed him the wine. “this is for you!” The words came out a lot more strained than intended. Rus smiled tightly, and Edge took the bottle, slowly studying it with upraised brow bones. Rus swallowed. “i don’t know if it’s really your thing. i’m not much of a wine drinker.”

Edge eyed him, amusement twinkling in his deep eye-lights. “I’m sure it’ll serve our needs.” Oh Fates. Was he flirting? No. No, he wasn’t. He wouldn’t. Not when Rus was off-duty. Edge was law enforcement. And even just flirting would be… Unfaithful. Rus’s chest twisted. He was overthinking. He just needed to treat this as he always would. Business as usual. Minus the actual… business.

He followed Edge inside, hands twisting behind his back. The smell of earth and cinders welcomed him, as did silence. Rus glanced around, half-expecting to find a congregation of spiky-looking skeletons waiting for him in the living room. “My family will be arriving later,” Edge told him, noticing his anticipation. “I asked you to come earlier in the hope that you’d be willing to help me with dinner. It’s vegetable lasagne.”

Rus blinked at him. “... oh.” He swallowed as Edge led him through the living room and into the kitchen. “you, uh, know i can’t cook for shit, right?”

Edge glanced at him and smirked. “It’s no bother. You can observe.”

The kitchen was painstakingly clean. Like the types you saw on cooking shows. Several different variations of knives were arranged in a butcher’s block—and there were even more along the wall. Some of them had to be for show, Rus decided. No one needed that many knives. Vegetables had been laid out on the chopping board. “In fact…” Edge considered them, then nodded. “You can chop vegetables.”

“okay, seems easy enough not to fuck up.”

“Start with the garlic,” Edge said, turning his attention to the stove, where a pot of sauce was simmering.

“right. yes. the garlic.” Rus considered the knives in front of him, grimacing. “uh…”

“Chef’s knife,” Edge told him without turning around.

“chef’s knife,” Rus echoed blankly.

Edge gave a soft laugh. “The biggest one.”

“right! yeah, i know.” Rus picked the knife out of the block and held a bulb of garlic on the cutting board. With some difficulty, he managed to slice it in half. “so, uh, how big do you want these pieces?” he asked.

Edge turned away from the sauce, his sockets narrowing when he saw the mutilated bulb on the chopping board. He gave Rus a long look. “Just the cloves, Rus,” he said seriously.

Rus blinked, looking between Edge and the garlic. “right. just the cloves.”

Edge frowned, then sighed and turned the stove on low, approaching. “Here,” he said, picking up the garlic. “These pieces.” He dug out the small cloves from within the bulb, placing them on the cutting board. “You need to crush them with the flat edge of the blade before cutting them into smaller pieces—like this.” He pressed the knife against the clove and it crunched. “See?”

“okay…” Rus nodded slowly. “i think i’ve got it.”

“You sure?” Edge studied Rus with amusement, and Rus glared, snatching the knife from him.

“yeah i’m sure i can handle a few cloves, asshole.”

“I’m more than happy to assign you a simpler task.” Edge’s eyes gleamed, his smile growing when Rus lifted his middle finger.

“get back to your sauce, kitchen boy.”

Edge’s laughter was genuine, and Rus ducked his head to hide a smile. He watched as Edge pushed up his sleeves, showing off the rough bones of his wrists, and the red mark on his ulna. Edge glanced at him and Rus quickly looked down, occupying himself with the garlic.

While Edge prepared the sauce and spread the sheets of lasagne over the dish, Rus chopped his way through the vegetables. He wasn’t completely confident in the quality of his chopping, but he received no complaints from the head chef, so he took the victory. “so... your soulmate,” he said, breaking the silence between them. “what’s she like?”

Edge wiped his hands down on a piece of paper towel. “She’s an asshole.”

Rus looked at him. “oh. uh, interesting… choice of word.”

“Oh, don’t get me wrong, she’s great. My best friend, actually.” He began to baste the layers of pasta with butter and oil, scooping Rus’s chopped vegetables into the dish. “But really… she’s an asshole.”

Rus smirked, watching as he smoothed out the layers of vegetables and pasta, spreading the sauce and cheese evenly throughout the dish. “She’s my co-worker down at the station,” Edge went on. “We’re both only officers, but I think she still has a bit of the war in her. In her mind, I’ll always be her dog.” He sounded more amused than resentful.

Rus snorted. “she sounds charming.”

Edge hummed, placing the lasagne in the oven and setting the timer. “Why don’t we crack open this bottle?” he said, picking up the wine Rus had brought.

They sat on the couch in the living room. Rus drank his wine slowly. He wasn’t a fan of wine, so he couldn’t really judge whether or not this was _good_ wine. But… he supposed it wasn’t bad, as far as wine went. Edge seemed to be enjoying it—at the very least, he wasn’t grimacing each time he took a sip.

They were sitting a little closer together than one might with a mere acquaintance. Rus could feel Edge’s body heat. He kept his gaze low, knowing he might have difficulty keeping his features schooled if Edge looked at him with those damn crimson eyes of his.

“So, mind if I ask what you were doing alone in the MTT today?” Edge was watching him, Rus could tell. He didn’t look up.

“not alone. i was with my brother… and his soulmate,” he said bitterly. He noticed Edge lifting a brow bone, but he must have sensed Rus’s reluctance to discuss the matter, because he didn’t question him further.

“And how has work been?”

This time, Rus did look at him. “you are aware what i do for a living, aren’t you?” he asked flatly.

“Indeed. I am intimately familiar with the way you work.”

Rus felt his face growing warm and quickly dropped his gaze, shifting on the sofa. He tipped back the rest of his wine. Edge leaned forward and picked up the bottle from the coffee table, offering it to Rus. “More wine?”

Rus’s head was tingling already, but he nodded anyway. He sipped his drink quietly, wondering if maybe he ought to slow down. To distract himself from the wine (and perhaps emboldened by it) he said, “since you asked, work hasn’t really been that interesting this week. my favourite client cancelled his session.”

As soon as the words had left his mouth he felt his soul shrivelling up. Oh Fates. He shouldn’t have said that. That was completely inappropriate, wasn’t it? You didn’t say that to people outside of business hours!

Slowly, Edge finished his glass and glanced at Rus, tilting his head. “It sounds like you need to have a serious discussion with him in that case.”

Unbidden, a smile crossed Rus’s face. Edge’s eye-lights were making him feel warm. “i intend to.”

The gate bell echoed through the house and Edge placed his glass on the table, standing. “That must be my brother. If you’ll excuse me.” Rus nodded and Edge headed out the front door. Getting up, Rus wandered towards the kitchen, anxious again. He swirled his wine in his glass and took another long sip. Getting intoxicated suddenly felt like a very good idea.

Outside, he heard the sound of voices. “... haven’ seen ya in weeks, dickhead, what’ve ya been up ta?”

Rus heard Edge mumbling something quiet in response, then a second unfamiliar voice spoke up, louder than the first. “Well, we’re just grateful that you were able to make time for us! _Aren’t_ we, Cherry?” More grumbling.

Rus watched the front door swing open. Edge walked inside, followed by two other skeletons. One was short, sharp and rough—a lot like Edge, only stockier, with a gold tooth replacement for one of his canines. Edge’s brother, Rus assumed.

The second skeleton was tall and strong-boned, standing rigidly straight. Both he and the shorter skeleton were glowing a deep green. Rus had to remind himself it was rude to gawk. The taller skeleton was wearing a broad smile—which turned to surprise when his eyes found Rus. “Edge!” he said. “You did not inform us you had company.”

Edge looked at Rus and cleared his throat. “Yes, forgive me. Red—” He indicated at the shorter skeleton “—Papyrus—” The taller one “—this is Rus.” Edge straightened his collar, giving Rus a deliberate look. “He’s a… friend.” Rus forced a smile and waved at them, then quickly took another sip of wine.

Red eyed him over, sockets narrowed. He looked at his brother. “‘friend’, huh?”

“Yes, Red,” Edge said with a stiff smile. “Friend.”

Red lifted his hands innocently. “alright, bro.” He strolled over to Rus and held out his hand. Rus narrowed his sockets and held back. Red’s mouth twitched. “got a problem with handshakes, bud?”

“not at all,” Rus said. He reached for Red’s wrist and turned his palm over. “got a problem with hand-buzzers, though.”

For a few seconds, Red stared at him, expression dark. Rus swallowed. Then Red’s face broke into a grin and he laughed. He tucked the buzzer into his hoodie pocket and slapped Rus on the arm. “good ta meet ya, sweetheart. well played.” Rus was taken aback, but he managed a smile.

Papyrus stepped forward and offered Rus his hand too. “Buzzer free, I can assure you!” He gave Red a firm look as he shook Rus’s hand, and Red ducked his head, scuttling into the kitchen. Edge followed after him, saying something about checking on the lasagne. Papyrus beamed at Rus. “So, how long have you known Edge?”

“um, just a couple of months.”

Papyrus lifted a brow bone. “How peculiar—he’s never mentioned you. Well, not that he talks much of his personal life anyway. But I would have assumed…” He studied Rus, then shook his head. “Ah, well, I shouldn’t jump to conclusions.” There was a spark in his eye, and Rus wasn’t quite sure what to make of that statement.

“so—you and red are bonded?” he asked quickly, mindless of how insensitive the question was until the words had left his mouth.

Papyrus seemed entirely unbothered, for at once, his face lit up. “Yes! Just recently, in fact.” There was pride in his tone. “Although I actually met Edge first. He and I work together.”

Rus felt his soul plummet. “oh. you’re law enforcement.”

Papyrus nodded brightly. “I’m Edge’s sergeant—and his Soulmate’s. Though, truth be told, they mentor me more than I mentor them. They have a lot of experience in the field—from the time fighting in the war…” He sobered, but quickly recomposed his smile. “But they’re putting it to good use. It’s… quite astounding neither of them have been made lieutenants yet.” A fleeting frown crossed his face. “But enough about me. What do you do for a living?”

Rus’s sockets widened. “well! um—”

The Fates must have heard his silent plea, because at that exact moment, Red peaked his head out of the kitchen. “grub’s up, babe...s,” he called, throwing Rus a wink. Rus could almost hear Edge’s laboured sigh from the kitchen.

They all sat down together at the dinner table while Edge dished up their food. Out the window, the street was quiet, but for the gentle trickle of rain against the glass. As soon as Edge placed Red’s food in front of him, Red tucked in, shovelling it down. Neither Edge nor Papyrus remarked upon it, which struck Rus as odd. If he ever began eating before Blue had given everyone their helpings, he never heard the end of it.

After everyone had food on their plates, Edge began dishing up his own portion. He spooned an almost pitifully small helping of lasagne onto his plate and then paused, swallowing. Rus caught Red and Papyrus exchanging a glance. Hesitantly, Edge added a second small spoonful of lasagne to his plate. His gaze flickered to Rus before he sat down.

Rus took a bite of the lasagne, humming. “damn, edgelord. this is great.”

“Don’t discredit your own contribution,” Edge said, taking a small bite of pasta.

Chuckling, Rus shook his head. “you’re absolutely right. it was my expert vegetable chopping that truly brought this dish together.”

“Perhaps I’ll leave you in charge of dinner next time.”

“i don’t think either of us want that.” Edge smiled, shaking his head, and Rus’s insides glowed.

“so…” Red said casually. “how’d ya meet my bro, rus?”

Rus looked at Edge, whose smile had vanished. “oh, we, um…”

“Work,” Edge interrupted. “I—took his statement on one of our cases.”

Red gave his brother a dubious look. “bit of an odd place ta be makin’ friends.”

Edge didn’t look at Red, but an irritated look crossed his face as he turned a piece of zucchini over with his fork. “Well, what can I say, Red? We hit it off.”

“wow.” Red gave a low whistle. “hit it off, huh? an’ here i thought the two a’ ya were just friends.”

Edge gave his brother a dark look. “We are.” Red narrowed his sockets.

“So Edge, how was the protest?” Papyrus asked loudly.

Edge immediately turned his gaze off his brother, who chewed in grudging silence. “It went well,” Edge said. “Nothing got out of hand. Other than the rain.”

“Well, that’s good to hear!” Papyrus said cheerfully.

“what was the protest about?” Red asked through a mouthful of food.

Papyrus gave him a stern look. “Chew with your mouth closed, please, Cherry.”

Red quickly swallowed his food, sinking and muttering a quiet, “sorry, pap.”

“They were lobbying for the legalisation of non-Soulmate relationships,” Edge said, moving his food around his plate.

Red stopped chewing mid-mouthful. “rwlly?”

“Red…”

Red quickly swallowed his food. “really?”

Edge didn’t look at him. “Yes. Really.” His eye-lights flickered to Rus for half a second.

Red nodded slowly. “huh.” He looked up at Rus. “so, rus, what’re yer thoughts on non-soulmate relationships?”

Rus froze. He opened his mouth. “i—”

“Red,” Papyrus scolded. “It’s not polite to bring up such controversial topics with someone you’ve only just met.” He turned to Rus. “I’d like to apologise for my Soulmate’s uncouth behaviour, Rus. He means no disrespect.” Papyrus gave Red a gentle look, and the green glow between them softened.

“yeah, sorry,” Red muttered, preoccupying himself with his plate.

“it’s—it’s okay,” Rus said with a small shake of his head.

“Personally, I think it’s admirable that they’re willing to stand up for what they believe to be right—and for each other. For love.” Papyrus beamed at Rus, but Rus ducked his head, his cheekbones glowing. Edge’s eyes didn’t leave him for the remainder of dinner.

After the dishes had all been cleaned and put away, Papyrus and Red announced their departure. “It was wonderful to meet you, Rus,” Papyrus said, giving Rus a hug—which he returned hesitantly.

Red held out his fist and Rus bumped it with his own. “sorry i was a bit of a dick,” Red said. “‘s just how i am sometimes.”

Rus smirked. “don’t worry. i deal with plenty of dicks in my line of work.” Red stared at him, confusion creeping across his expression.

Edge sighed. “Goodnight, Red.” He gave Rus a dull look. Once Red and Papyrus had gone, Edge closed and locked the front door, turning to Rus, whose soul skipped a beat. “It was—it was nice having you over. Thank you for coming tonight.”

Rus nodded and looked down, smiling. “well, technically, it’s the only night i _haven’t_ come…” He grit his teeth. “sorry. i shouldn’t—”

Edge gave him a grudging smile and shook his head. “I’ll see you next Saturday.”

“yeah.”

Rus didn’t move. Edge was still watching him. He inhaled deeply, then without thinking, he stepped in and wrapped his arms around Edge’s shoulders, hugging him tightly. Edge went stiff in his arms, and Rus bit his tongue, quickly drawing away. “i—i’m sorry, i shouldn’t—i don’t know why i—”

“Rus…” Edge’s voice was barely a whisper. “We can’t.”

The room felt dark suddenly, the warmth evaporating from Rus’s soul. “i know.” He squeezed his sockets shut.

“I’ll walk you to the station,” Edge said quietly.

“it’s okay, i can teleport.”

“Right, of course.” Edge opened the front door. “Goodnight, Rus.”

“night, edge.” Rus turned and walked down Edge’s driveway, a black pit weighing in his chest. He shivered and held himself. The rain had stopped, but there was a chill to the air. He reached the gate when he heard Edge call his name.

“Rus, wait!” He turned at once to find Edge hurrying towards him.

“yes?”

“Why don’t I… give you my number?” Rus blinked and Edge shut his sockets, exhaling. “My personal number. Not the one I use for business.”

“you have… you have two different numbers.”

“We’re friends,” Edge said stiffly. “It would—it would be unusual for us not to communicate through text if we weren’t.”

Rus shook his head, feeling a laugh bubbling up inside him. “right—yeah, no. of course.” He handed Edge his phone, a prickle of excitement building within him.

After entering his number, Edge shook his hand—then drew him in for a quick hug. Rus’s soul jumped, but it only lasted a moment. Edge cleared his throat, avoiding eye-contact. “Goodnight, Rus.”

Rus smiled. “goodnight.”

 

Rus curled up in bed with Kitty tucked against him, his soul humming with warmth. His phone buzzed and he snatched it off the nightstand—a little too quickly. He had a text from an unsaved number.

_Goodnight, Rus._

_-Edge_

Rus couldn’t keep the grin off his face.

_night, edgelord_


	5. The only fish for me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edge and Rus's intimacy is becoming more... well, intimate. And Rus finally meets Edge's Soulmate. Also, smut!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for heavy intoxication. Overall though, very light-hearted chapter.

It became regular practice for Edge to meet Rus at the train station before walking him back to his place. The first few times he’d done it, Rus had protested adamantly. He knew why Edge insisted upon it—and no, he wasn’t fragile and helpless, he could walk ten bloody minutes alone thank you very much. But… it wasn’t all that bad having Edge by his side. He still walked like an officer on duty, but Rus had grown to find it endearing, rather than unsettling. They didn’t always talk, but the silence was comfortable. So, _grudgingly,_ Rus allowed it.

Tonight, Edge was dressed down for the warm weather; t-shirt and jeans. Rus eyed him up and down as they walked. “you look nice,” he remarked, glancing at the red mark on his arm. He scratched at the piece of silk cloth around his own wrist. “special occasion?”

Edge eyed him. “Yes, actually, I have a date.”

“ooh, how exciting. good-looking?”

“… Indeed.” Edge lifted a brow at him. “In fact, I intend on taking him to bed with me. He has quite a pretty voice, so I’d like to test it out on my name.”

Rus snorted, blushing. “lucky guy.” When they reached the house, he strode through the living room and sprawled himself across the sofa, letting his knees fall apart. “now, if i recall correctly, you mentioned before that this sofa was reserved for oral sex and drinking tea.” He grinned as Edge raised a brow bone, and flicked his tongue across his teeth. “guess which one is on my mind?”

Humming, Edge leaned over the back of the couch. “As much as I’d like to put the kettle on,” he said, reaching down to stroke Rus’s jaw, “your mouth looks far too tempting for me to resist.”

Magic rippled through Rus, sinking to his pelvis. He sat up and caught Edge’s face in his hands, drawing him down for a kiss. Edge sighed into his mouth and caressed the back of Rus’s neck.

When they broke apart, Edge climbed over the couch and sat down, pulling Rus into his lap. Rus clutched onto him as he crushed their bodies together. He licked Rus’s jaw and scraped his teeth over his vertebrae. “Let me see you on your knees, love,” he murmured against his neck.

Rus shuddered and slid off the couch. He looked up at Edge and pressed his head into his lap. Edge sighed, stroking his cheekbone. “Gorgeous.” Rus ran his hand up Edge’s thigh and pressed his thumb against the bulge of his jeans. Warm magic bloomed beneath his hand, and Edge inhaled. “Fates, I want you.”

Rus swallowed, hurriedly unbuckling Edge’s belt and pulling his cock free. He brushed the tip with his thumb and looked up. Edge was watching him with deep interest. He stroked the back of his skull and Rus leaned down, running his tongue over the head. Edge sighed and leaned back. “feel nice?” Rus asked. Edge nodded, magic trickling between the vertebrae of his neck. “hmm, you taste good too.” Rus licked along the side of Edge’s cock, gripping the base.

“ _Oh._ ” Edge grasped at the cushions as Rus took him in his mouth and began to bob his head. “Oh, you have a lovely mouth.”

Rus laughed quietly, kissing Edge’s upper femur. He ran his tongue over the slit of his cock, then took him deep. There was something very satisfying about the heavy breaths and soft groans he was rewarded with. He slid off Edge’s cock a moment and rested his head in his lap, looking up at him. Edge exhaled a breath of laughter. “You don’t get to look at me like that, Tale-verse. Not when your pretty mouth is wrapped around my cock.” He leaned down and stroked Rus’s cheekbone, kissing his forehead. “You’re so beautiful on your knees.”

“i must say, i quite enjoy you from this angle as well,” Rus said, palming Edge’s cock. He leaned in and licked it from the base to the tip. Edge’s hand locked around his shoulder.

“Please, Rus, please. Fates and stars, I need—I need—”

“what do you need, precious?” Rus asked softly, planting a light kiss on Edge’s hip. “you want to fuck my mouth?” Edge shuddered, and Rus smiled. “you want to see how deep i can take you? how warm my throat is?”

Edge wiped his hand across his face, growling. “Fuck, Rus. Just do it. Please.”

Rus grinned at him. “you’re so hot like this, edgelord.” He held Edge’s cock at the base and slowly took him into his mouth. He bobbed his head languidly, smoothing his thumb over Edge’s inner femur.

“Fates, oh Fates, _Rus._ ” Edge moaned as he began to speed up, sinking deeper. “Oh that feels amazing. Oh _fuck._ ” Edge held onto Rus’s shoulder and braced his other hand on the back of his skull, encouraging him to go further. Rus obliged, and Edge’s cock pressed against the back of his throat. Edge panted, bucking his hips gently. “Fuck, I’m so close. You don’t even know what you’re doing to me.”

When the pressure on his throat became too much, Rus pulled back, coughing. “Oh, sweetheart…” Edge stroked his cheek, sighing. “You did so well. You’re amazing, Rus. You’re incredible.”

Rus licked his teeth, grinning at Edge. “where do you want it, precious?”

Edge opened his mouth, cheekbones flushed. “I—”

“in my mouth? on my face?” Rus sat up and leaned into Edge, running his teeth along his jaw. “or do you want to wait until you’re inside me?” He felt Edge’s cock twitch in his hand.

“I want… I want to see you swallow it,” Edge growled softly, and his hold on Rus became rougher. Rus’s cunt ached. Fuck, he needed Edge badly.

He sank back to his knees and nipped Edge’s iliac crest before dropping his head and slowly taking him into his mouth again. “Just like that,” Edge breathed as he bobbed his head. “Fates, I’m going to come, Rus. Oh sweetheart, oh…” Rus took him deep and Edge pressed his head down, holding him there while he thrust into his mouth—once, twice—then came on the third.

Hot magic flooded Rus’s throat and he swallowed, then slowly sat up. Debauched, Edge lay back, sweat on his brow, magic burning in his cheekbones. “Fates,” he breathed. “I…” He looked at Rus then reached for him, pulling him into his lap and kissing him hard. “You are. Absolutely incredible.”

“so it would seem.” Rus smirked, touching Edge’s softening cock, still wet with cum and saliva. He settled into Edge’s lap and pressed his mouth against his jaw, inhaling. “fuck, i enjoyed that. you’re— _very_ sexy when you let yourself go like that.”

Edge hummed, turning his head so their mouths met. “Is that so?” he murmured. “I wonder…” He pressed his fingers into Rus’s crotch, where his cunt throbbed. “What noises would you make with my tongue inside you?”

“hmm...” Rus shut his eyes, trembling as Edge gently worked open his jeans. He pressed his thumb against Rus’s cunt. “why don’t you find out, precious?” Rus purred.

“Fuck, you’re wet already,” Edge said, rubbing his clit. “Open your eyes, Rus. Look at me.” Edge’s burning eye-lights were fixed on Rus’s face. He slipped a finger inside him, curling it and finding a sweet spot. Rus struggled to keep a straight face, whimpering when Edge began to play with his clit again. “Beautiful,” Edge whispered, kissing his neck. “Let’s get you on your back, sweetheart.”

He lowered Rus onto the couch and crawled between his legs, pulling his jeans down around his ankles. His cock still hung out of his pants, half-hard. After removing Rus’s jeans entirely, he crouched between his femurs, nuzzling his pelvis. He pressed his tongue against Rus’s clit and Rus gasped, wrapping his legs around his shoulders. He caught a glimmer of a smile on Edge’s face before he buried it between his legs.

“oh, fuck!” Rus pressed a hand over his mouth, which Edge pried off at once.

“Don’t you dare hide from me, love, let me hear you.” He slipped a hand beneath Rus’s shirt, playing with his ribs as he licked his clit. Rus moaned, a string of curses falling from his mouth. Edge hummed and pressed his tongue inside Rus.

“oh, _oh, fates._ ” Rus gasped for breath as Edge’s tongue pushed deep, pleasure pulsing through him in heated bursts. He cried out when Edge began to stimulate his clit with his finger, working him with slow, light touches. He moved his hand over the back of Edge’s skull, dragging his fingers across the bone. “fuck,” he panted, “oh fucking fates, edge, i’m going to come.”

Grunting, Edge pushed his tongue against _just_ the right place inside Rus, making him whine. “ah, fuck, edge!” Rus squeezed Edge’s shoulders with his legs as he climaxed, magic quivering through his body. “oh…” He groaned as Edge sat up, leaning in to kiss him. He was trembling, and Edge pulled him into his arms, cradling his head against his chest.

“I was right,” he said, kissing Rus’s jaw. “You do sound very pretty when you say my name like that.” He smiled with soft amusement.

Rus wiped a hand over his skull, catching a trickle of sweat, then lifted his finger at Edge. “fuck you. that was amazing.”

Edge laughed softly and kissed the crown of Rus’s skull. He hummed and held their bodies together, inhaling Rus. “You feel good,” he sighed.

Rus could feel the hard press of Edge’s magic against his bare leg. He snorted, squeezing his inner femur. “clearly.”

“Not that,” Edge said, shaking his head. “Well… yes, that. But…” He hoisted Rus up and rested his head against his chest. “This too. You feel nice, Tale-verse. Always. So nice.”

Rus breathed deeply and pushed himself into Edge’s arms, pressing his face into the nape of his neck. He could feel magic pulsing off Edge. Calm waves of warmth. So different to the usual sharpness he projected. It was almost uncanny seeing Edge so tender. Almost. In truth, Rus could think of nothing sweeter than Edge allowing himself to be this vulnerable. And just for _him_.

Breathing out, Edge shifted, lifting one of Rus’s legs and wrapping it around his hips. His cock had grown hard again, and he pushed it against the folds of Rus’s cunt. His breaths were soft against Rus’s neck, and he trailed kisses down to his collarbone, nipping gently. Rus leaned into him sleepily and wrapped both his legs around Edge’s waist. Edge ground into him, his breathing growing heavier. Holding him close, he slowly pushed into him.

It wasn’t much like any of their previous sessions. Edge liked it rough, often fast. He hired Rus to remedy his LV—to act as an outlet for his urges. But this was… soft. Slow. Intimate. Edge rocked into Rus without haste, their bodies tangled together. This wasn’t a responsibility Rus was performing. This wasn’t a service or a duty. This was… something else.

Rus whimpered against Edge’s shoulder. He pressed his face into his neck, teeth clenched, breath quick. Edge was gentle, careful. He kissed Rus’s jaw and neck, breathing heavily against him. Rus could feel the magic of Edge’s projections. Soft and considerate. Caring. _Adoring._

Rus came clinging to Edge’s back while Edge slowly thrust into him. He gasped Edge’s name, face buried in his neck. He felt the warmth of Edge’s magic releasing inside him and groaned, holding him tighter. “Thank you, Rus,” Edge gasped, trailing kisses down his neck and chest. “Fates, thank you.”

 

“You should meet my Soulmate.”

Rus glanced up from his shoelaces, blinking. “what?”

“I mean—” Edge cleared his throat, looking away to straighten his shirt in the mirror. “Only if you’d like to, of course. I’d like you to meet her. I think she’d like to meet you, too. At least, she said she would. But. Only if you want to. Of course.” He turned away and began rearranging the candles on the mantelpiece. Rus smiled slowly, standing up.

“she wants to meet me?”

“Yes, of course,” Edge said without turning around. His voice was tight. “We—she talks about you all the time.”

Rus held back a grin. “she talks about me?”

“We—we talk about you.” Even with his back turned, Rus could picture Edge’s frown. “Sometimes. Not often. When your existence comes up. Which is seldom. We’ve only mentioned you once or twice, to be frank.” His cheekbones were glowing.

Rus placed a hand on his shoulder, turning him around. “well, we’d better change that,” he said, giving Edge a sly look. “i’m worth far more than only a mention or two.”

“So… you’d like to meet her?”

“i’d love to.”

Visible relief crossed Edge’s features. Not quite a smile, but… not a frown, which was something for Edge. “That’s—that’s wonderful. How is Monday night? We usually meet for drinks at a bar further downtown after work.”

“monday is—” Rus’s soul twisted as a thought struck him. He swallowed. “actually... i work on mondays.” Edge’s face fell and the knot in Rus’s chest tightened.

“Right. Of course. I should have realised.” He spoke stiffly. “That’s. Fine. I should have—I’m sorry.” He turned away and Rus chewed his tongue, slumping.

“i—i only start work at nine,” he tried. “we could… meet earlier, maybe?”

Edge hesitated, considering. “That would be nice, I think,” he said slowly.

“great, i look forward to it.” Rus beamed.

Edge did smile then. “Yes. Yes, so do I.”

 

****

 

Rus hadn’t understood why Edge had insisted on escorting him to the bar himself until they reached the neighbourhood—perhaps best described as Fell-verse territory. They got off the train at the last stop. The quality of train stations declined the further you travelled—and this one remained true to the formula. Plaster peeling off the walls; litter scattered across the tracks; the smell of smoke and oil thick in the air. Edge took Rus by the arm as they walked onto the street. In another time and another place, Rus might have protested the gesture. But as it was, he was very grateful for Edge’s presence. Not that he came here often, but this side of town had always struck him as… unwelcoming.

When the Tale-verse Council of Four had decided to invite the Fell-verse monsters into their city, most of them had refused to live by the Laws of Fate, and the rules that governed Soulmates. A group of them had broken off and formed their own community in a less-travelled sector of the city. They were still under the city’s jurisdiction, and still technically had to obey their laws. But apart from the occasional police patrol, few bothered interfering with the activity that went on in the so-called ‘Fell’ sector.

The street was eerily silent. It made chills run down Rus’s spine, and the darkness only unsettled him further. So unnatural. Few streetlights—and fewer still were the Soulmates. Monsters spoke in lowered voices and behind cupped hands. Figures lingered in the shadows of alleyways, and Rus could feel eyes following him down the footpath. When a shout rang out from somewhere behind them, he froze abruptly, but Edge ushered him along.

Very few of the monsters were glowing. The lack of colour was unsettling. It left the street feeling barren. Sure, the constant bombardment of Soulmates was annoying as fuck, but this… It didn’t bother Rus. Not really. Except it was so _strange._ He held onto Edge’s arm and tried not to think about the looks he was receiving. He was so used to fading into the background, being the heart of attention was unnerving. For once in his life, he was the glowing beacon.

There was a prominent spark of LOVE in the air. It was almost oppressive. Far more than Rus was used to with individual clients, even Edge. It hung around them like an intoxicating cloud of smoke—or a crackle of electricity before an oncoming storm. Edge gave a group of rough, brow-beaten looking monsters a tight nod as he passed them, and squeezed Rus’s arm, murmuring, “Stay close to me.”

Rus glanced over his shoulder at the monsters and found their gazes on him. Their less than friendly gazes. He swallowed nervously and tightened his fingers around Edge’s arm. “these guys have it out for me or something?”

“Yes,” Edge said flatly.

“oh. well. alright then.”

“Tale-verse monsters aren’t very popular here,” Edge explained.

“should i... are you sure i should be here?” Rus swallowed, glancing over his shoulder again.

Edge smirked, giving his arm a squeeze. “Don’t worry, Tale-verse. You’re hardly a threat. No half-decent monster would lay a finger on you.” That wasn’t comforting in the least. Rus wanted to point out that very few of the monsters here appeared even a quarter-decent. Noticing Rus’s dubiety, Edge leaned in and whispered, “I’ll protect you.” Rus looked down and tried not to blush.

When they reached a busier street of the sector, Rus began to relax. The atmosphere was less foreboding and more… well, raunchy. Left and right, lights flashed, and monsters laughed, shouting merrily. Rus had little doubt alcohol was a player in their cheerful moods. The smell of it was strong, and every second building along the street appeared to be supplying it. He was alarmed by the number of monsters getting… comfortable with each other. Very few of them sported a Soulmates’ glow. And they were being so _public_ about it. Rus was beginning to wonder if Edge had led him into an illegal red-light district.

They stopped outside what must have been the most popular establishment on the street. Monsters filed in and out, and Rus could hear music and laughter downstairs. ‘The Black Wolf’ was written over the door in glowing white letters. As they approached, the security guard narrowed his slitted yellow eyes at Rus. “He’s with me,” Edge said. “Captain’s orders.”

“Captain has some interesting tastes,” the bouncer said, looking Rus up and down. He squirmed against Edge’s side, staring at a crack in the pavement.

“No,” Edge said, pulling Rus closer. “I do.”

The guard gave a soft huff of laughter and shrugged. “Alright, Edge. Enjoy your night.”

Edge gave him a nod and led Rus downstairs. A strong musty smell filled Rus’s senses as they descended. The bar was thronging, and mellow music played from a corner. A few monsters glanced up as they walked in, greeting Edge and giving Rus curious looks. “Two ciders,” Edge said when they reached the bar. The wolf tending it gave him a questioning look, eyeing Rus.

“Interestin’ company,” she said.

“Is the Captain here yet?” Edge asked shortly.

The wolf raised her brows then poured their drinks. “She was hangin’ around here earlier. Dunno where she went.”

Edge nodded and took the drinks. “Thank you.” The wolf stayed where she was, watching Rus. “That’ll be all, Rom,” Edge said, giving her a hard stare.

“He yours?” Rom asked, nodding at Rus.

Edge’s hand curled around Rus’s arm. “He’s my friend, yes.” Rus swallowed and tapped his fingers on his glass, keeping silent.

“Make sure you keep an eye on him,” Rom said. “Easy to lose a pretty thing like that in a place like this.”

“Thank you, Rom,” Edge said wearily. “You can leave us now.”

With a final glance at Rus, Rom wandered towards the next patron. Edge drank his cider wordlessly. His hand was still around Rus’s forearm. Rus shuffled closer to him while he took a sip of his own drink. He grimaced. It was stronger than the cider he was used to. And bitter. He gulped it down regardless, determined not to let Edge see his distaste.

“You can relax,” Edge said. “No one here is going to hurt you.” His hand on Rus’s arm contradicted his words.

“yeah, i’m not exactly getting that vibe.”

“You’re only a curiosity. It’s not every day these poor fools see someone as pretty as you. They’ll grow bored of you eventually.” He looked at Rus and brushed a finger over his cheekbone. “At worst you’ll be propositioned. And I’m sure you’re used to that.”

Rus rolled his eye-lights—then flinched as a heavy arm slung over his shoulders. He felt a sudden spike in the LV in the vicinity. “So this is the monster from sweet-verse who’s been providing you with… gratification,” said a rough voice behind him. Rus froze and stared at Edge, who was swathed in a deep red glow. He wore a dull expression.

“Be nice, Undyne,” he said, sighing.

Rus glanced over his shoulder. The monster—Undyne—was grinning, baring her sharp yellow teeth. Her right eye was hidden beneath a patch, and Rus could see a thin trail of scar tissue cutting into her blue skin. His mildly intoxicated mind wanted to point out that she and Edge had more than one matching Soulmate mark. He was grateful he was sober enough to keep the words in his mouth. Her LV was high, though he didn’t dare check just how high, in case she took offence. He doubted her muscles were for show.

“Why?” Undyne said, flexing her arm around Rus’s shoulder. “Because you’re fucking him?”

Edge tilted his head and gave her a false smile. “How much have you had to drink?”

Undyne’s expression darkened, her yellow eye flashing. “You’re not on duty, rookie. Don’t police me.” Edge rolled his eyes and returned to his drink, finishing it and placing the empty glass on the bar. Rus noticed his was empty, too. He marvelled at himself for getting it all down. “So kid,” Undyne said, leaning against the bar beside Rus. “Rus, yeah? Why don’t you tell me a bit about yourself? I know you fuck people for a living. What’s that like?”

Beside him, Edge groaned. “For fuck’s sake—don’t scare him off ‘Dyne. We only just became friends.”

Undyne scoffed. “Hey, we’re trying to have a conversation here, Edgelord. Do you mind?” She turned back to Rus, giving him a deliberate look. “Seriously man. How is he in bed?”

“Lay off, you sardine,” Edge snapped.

Rus grinned, his head buzzing. “i’m afraid i can’t share those details,” he said remorsefully. “client confidentiality and all that.” Undyne looked disappointed, so he leaned in and whispered, “he’s a complete animal. bleats like a goat and everything.”

She snorted and slapped him on the shoulder, making him wince. “Hey Soulmate,” she said, looking at Edge. “Why doesn’t he have a drink in his hand?” Edge only sighed and gave her a flat look. Rus noticed with offence he’d ordered himself another drink. Why hadn’t he been offered one? “Hey sweetheart,” Undyne said, patting Rus’s face. “Let me buy you a drink.” Rus turned to Edge and grinned. Edge frowned and narrowed his sockets at Undyne. “Aw, don’t give me that look!” she said. “I’ll take care of him.”

Rus pouted. “pleeeease, edge?”

Exasperated, Edge rolled his eye-lights. “Fine. But none of the hard stuff, ‘Dyne. He’s…” Edge eyed Rus up and down. “Delicate.”

Rus scoffed and lifted his finger, but Undyne was already dragging him the other side of the bar. “So what’s your drink of choice, kiddo?”

“i, um…” Rus glanced over his shoulder at Edge, but his attention was elsewhere. “i guess i don’t really have one?”

Undyne shook her head, tutting. “Alright, punk. Let me introduce you to something we like to call the Fell concoction down here.”

Rus gave her a doubtful look. “is that something i’m going to regret drinking?”

“Eh. Probably. But you’re here to have fun, aren’t you?”

“i... have work in a few hours,” Rus said quietly. Again, he found his eyes wandering to Edge. He was watching them with a frown.

“Well then, we’d better make the most of the time you have before that,” Undyne said. Rus noticed her eye flickering to Edge, but she promptly returned her attention to the bar. “Hey Rom. We’ll take the Fell special.” Rom eyed Rus suspiciously, but didn’t probe, and returned with a thick red drink. Rus pulled a face. “Try not to focus on how it looks,” Undyne said. “Or tastes. But you’ll enjoy it, trust me.”

Tentatively, Rus took a sip. He gagged, covering his mouth. “fates, that’s awful,” he said hoarsely.

“Well you’ve gotta drink it quicker than that. It’ll go down easier.” Rus pinched his face and took a quick gulp. His throat burned, but he managed to keep it down.

He grimaced and shook his head. “fuck, what’s in it?”

Undyne leaned in and winked. “Secret Fell recipe.” Rus regarded her dubiously. “I try not to ask myself that question,” she said. Rus pulled a face, but took another swallow of the drink and wiped his mouth on his sleeve. He looked across the bar. Edge was having a conversation with another monster, his back turned on them. Even this far apart, wisps of red curled around him and Undyne.

“So how about we not think about lieutenant Edgy for a minute,” Undyne said, taking Rus’s arm and leading him away from the bar. “Let me introduce you to some of my friends.” She took him to a corner booth where a group of dogs were playing cards.

Rus swallowed as she guided him into a seat beside what must have been the largest monster at the table. In fairness, they were all rather robust. The wolf gave him a long look as he sat down, and Rus felt his insides shrivelling. He took a gulp of his drink, holding his breath to keep it down. He was relieved when Undyne sat next to him. “Boys, girls, this is Rus,” she said, squeezing his shoulder.

One of the hounds opposite Rus leered at him. “Oh good, you brought snacks,” she said with a grin and a flick of her tongue.

“Fuck off, ‘Ressa,” Undyne growled. “He’s a bud of mine.”

The hound beside ‘Ressa leaned forward and sniffed Rus. “He smells pretty.”

“Yeah, nice pickup. He’s Tale-verse. They’re all pretty. Anyone else got any wise remarks?” Rus took a sip of his drink—he was starting to get used to the foul burning taste. “Right then. Who’s up for a round?”

There were quiet grumbles of agreement. None of the other monsters seemed keen to challenge Undyne. Rus was suddenly very grateful for her presence. She spread a deck of cards across the table. “I’ll deal.”

Rus observed the game, rather than joining in. There seemed to be a betting system of sorts, but the game wasn’t anything he was familiar with, and he quickly lost track of who was winning. By the time Undyne let out a triumphant cry, he’d reached the bottom of his drink, and his head was spinning. He placed a hand over his mouth and hiccoughed.

Undyne beckoned to the other monsters. “Send it in, friends,” she said, as they grudgingly slid their G across the table.

The big wolf beside Rus nudged him in the ribs. He look up, blinking. “Didn’t happen ta catch her slippin’ aces out of her sleeve, did ya?” he asked. Rus glanced at Undyne, who was giving the wolf a complacent look, then slowly turned back.

“... no,” he said, concentrating hard on the word.

The wolf grunted. “Must’ve cheated some other way then.”

Undyne stuck her finger up at him. “Take the L, Ice.”

“Never,” Ice growled.

Emboldened by his drink, Rus cleared his throat. “can i play?” Around the table, the other monsters laughed. Rus glared. “do we discriminate at this table?” he asked irritably.

‘Ressa lifted her hands, shrugging. “I mean hey, if you’re offering, I wouldn’t mind stealing a few pieces of G off a piece of Tale.”

Rus stared at her, frowning. “Hey.” Undyne wrapped her arm around Rus’s shoulders. “Don’t steal from him. He’s already selling his body for money.” She threw Rus a wink and he scowled.

“because i _enjoy_ it” he said firmly.

Undyne chuckled. “I’m sure you do.” When he scowled, she scuffed her hand over the top of his skull. “I’m messing with you, punk. I respect it.”

Beside him, Rus felt Ice’s hand creep around his waist. “So, Rus,” he murmured, leaning in. “What’re ya doin’ after this?”

Growling, Undyne smacked his hand away. “Watch yourself, dog. He’s spoken for.”

Ice lifted a brow. “Oh, really?”

“Yup. By the lieutenant.”

Rus’s soul jolted. The lieutenant—that was Edge. He looked across the room. Edge was still standing at the bar. “Woah there,” Ice said. “Your Soulmate is fuckin’ _this_? Now I know you’re havin’ me on.”

“oh, but he pays me very well!” Rus said, grinning proudly.

Undyne sighed. “Okay, kid. Let’s get you back to your boyfriend.” Rus stifled a laugh behind his hand as she dragged him from the booth.

“undyne,” he muttered, glancing back and forth. “he’s not my _boyfriend._ ”

“Nope. But you’re drunk. So he gets to look after you now. I’m not responsible enough for this and he’d kill me if something happened to you.” She gave him an apologetic look. “Uh. Sorry ‘bout that drink by the way. You’re probably not gonna feel too good tomorrow. Didn’t realise you were _that_ delicate.”

Rus leaned bodily into her as they approached the bar. Edge looked up, and his eyes fell onto Rus at once. “What did you give him, Undyne?” he asked, bewildered.

Undyne waved her hand. “Ngah, just a little Fell magic. He was looking too soft—anyway, have fun with him.” She deposited Rus in Edge’s arms and walked swiftly away. Rus leaned into Edge, listening to the vibrations of his chest as he spoke—though he couldn’t quite catch his words. Or their meaning, at least. Something about a fish bitch.

He slumped into him when he felt his body being lifted off the ground. Laughing softly, he buried his face in Edge’s neck. “we gonna have some fun?” he asked, licking Edge’s vertebrae with the tip of his tongue.

“I’m taking you home, Rus.”

“ooh, yeah you are. your place or mine?”

Edge was silent. Noise rushed past them, then a gust of cold air hit Rus’s face. He could hear traffic. Edge was asking him something. Rus hummed and buried his face further into his shoulder. “yeah…” he responded. Edge sighed and mumbled something Rus couldn’t hear.

The journey home passed in a blur. Rus recalled being carried into a taxi… maybe. He must have been asleep for most of the ride. Thankfully. He heard the creaking of iron, and then the familiar woody smell of Edge’s house.

“You can sleep in my bed tonight,” Edge said, lowering him onto the mattress and draping a blanket over him. “I’ll take the couch. Goodnight, Rus.”

“mm, you gonna stay with me?”

“We’re not having sex, Rus.”

“nah, but…” Rus blinked his eyes open slowly, looking at Edge. His shirt was crumpled and untucked, and the magic between his joints was dim. He looked tired. Rus reached for him. “stay with me?”

Edge sighed. “Rus…”

“please? i won’t… not for that. but i… want you to. please. you look all grumpy and i wanna make it better.”

There it was. The smallest of smiles. Rus could feel sleep pulling him down, but he forced himself to keep his eyes on Edge. At last Edge exhaled and nodded, sitting beside him. Rus shuffled his head into Edge’s lap and closed his eyes. “thank you,” he said softly, threading his fingers into Edge’s shirt.

Edge stroked his skull. “Alright, Rus.”

Rus burrowed himself deeper into Edge’s hold. He could feel the magic pumping slowly through him. He was warm. Rus purred quietly and held onto him. “your soulmate was nice.”

“No. She wasn’t. And she’s not allowed to be left alone with you again.”

“do you think she liked me?”

Edge hummed, running his thumb over Rus’s chin. “I think you’re a very difficult person not to like.”

“don’t lie. i’m an asshole.”

“You are. But I still like you.”

Rus smiled and pressed his face further into Edge. “hm. i like you too.”

Edge adjusted his position, sinking lower onto the bed so he could cradle Rus against his chest. “Go to sleep, Rus.”

“you’ll stay with me?”

“Of course.”

Rus breathed out and held onto Edge. “you’re so warm,” he slurred, drunk and sleepy. “so nice. nice edgelord.” He yawned and tucked his head beneath Edge’s arm. “night, edge.”

Edge stroked his face, his fingers light. He said something in response, but Rus was already asleep.


	6. Rough day at the office

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rus has a conversation with Slim about his situation, and some difficult questions are raised. And it turns out he's not the only one struggling with his job.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little sadder than normal, just a warning. The conflict is mostly internal, and centres around the main themes of this fic. Additionally, small warning for rough sex and internalised degradation (it shouldn't be too heavy, though).

Rus’s head throbbed. His joints protested painfully as he tried to detach himself from the arms encasing him. “Rus…” Oh. Those were Edge’s arms. Ruefully, he untangled himself from them and rubbed his sockets. Something was buzzing and it was making his head pound. “Rus, your phone.”

Rus blinked. Fighting back nausea and dizziness, he sat up and fumbled his phone out of his pocket. “hello?” he answered croakily.

“Rus, what the fuck?”

Rus flinched. “val…?” Then realisation struck him. His marrow ran cold. “oh… shit. i didn’t—“

“You want to tell me why you didn’t show up to your session last night?” Val snapped. “I called you a hundred times! You’re lucky we had someone on reserve, but the client wasn’t happy about the last minute change.”

Edge squeezed Rus’s shoulder gently and he went stiff. “i—” He tried to push Edge from his mind. “fuck… i’m sorry, val. it won’t happen again.”

“Make sure it doesn’t. You have another client in an hour. Are you going to be there?”

Rus’s insides squirmed. Edge’s hand felt heavy on his shoulder. “yeah,” he said faintly. “yeah i’ll be there.” His head throbbed and he pinched his nasal bridge.

“I don’t want this happening again, Rus. You got it?” She went silent for a few seconds. “Everything okay with you?”

“no—yeah, everything’s fine. i—i was just…”

“You don’t have to explain yourself to me. I trust that you won’t let it happen again. Can you promise me that?”

“i can,” Rus said weakly. “i’m sorry. i’ll be there in forty minutes.” He hung up and dropped his phone on the nightstand, slumping back into bed.

“Something the matter?” Edge asked. His hand was still on Rus’s shoulder. It deepened the guilty pit in his chest. He turned away from Edge, making a faintly distressed noise.

“y-yeah—i mean no. i just…” His throat constricted. “i have a client.”

Edge’s hand dropped. “Oh.”

Squeezing his sockets shut, Rus reluctantly climbed out of bed. “i’m sorry, edge.”

Edge shook his head. “No. I understand.” Rus stared at his feet. He couldn’t meet Edge’s eye.

“i wish i could stay…”

Edge slid off the bed and drew Rus into his arms, inhaling. “I do too.” Rus swallowed, tears prickling at his sockets. “It’s okay,” Edge said softly. “It’s your job, Rus. I completely understand.” He drew away and smiled faintly. “Well, have a nice day.”

Rus felt sick. He mumbled a thanks and picked his shoes up off the floor, tucking his phone back in his pocket. “bye, edge,” he murmured, teleporting without looking at him.

****

After having the tag removed from his ankle, Rus sat on the steps outside of the facility and dug in his pockets for a cigarette. His pelvis ached. It was easy to forget, sometimes, that not all his clients were as careful with him as Edge was. He took a long drag of smoke and let it curl in his chest cavity. It eased the tension somewhat, though it did little to prevent the guilt that still gnawed at him.

The grey sky above promised rain. Rus was in no hurry to get home, though. He’d left enough food in Kitty’s bowl to last her the day, and he was pretty sure she’d adopted a back-up owner already. He didn’t move when it began to patter down on the concrete around him. He reached for his phone and opened his contacts. A lump formed in his throat as he stared at Edge’s number. The pit in his chest deepened. Inhaling unsteadily, he scrolled down and called a different number.

“hey, slim… i know you’re at work, but do you mind if i stop by? i could really do with someone to talk to.”

 

Slim was in the front room of the animal clinic when Rus arrived, peeling off his surgical gloves. He raised a brow bone when Rus entered, damp from the rain. “well. you look shit.”

“thanks,” Rus muttered, rolling his eye-lights. “feel shit too.”

“physically? or…?” Slim’s expression hardened when Rus shrugged. The turmoil must have been obvious in his face, because Slim sighed and put an arm around him. “alph said i could take my break early. wanna grab something to drink?”

“sure.”

Neither of them were much bothered by the rain. It was a nuisance, sure, but for monsters made of bone, it wasn’t quite as encumbering as it was for those with softer exteriors. Slim paid for Rus’s coffee and they found a seat beneath the park gazebo. Rain sent ripples across the pond in front of them, and monsters hurried past to get indoors.

“so what’s up?” Slim asked, sipping his hot chocolate.

Rus made a non-committal noise. “just hungover,” he said vaguely, staring at the water.

“oh no, we are not doing this,” Slim said, narrowing his sockets. “you called me because you wanted to talk, and i know it wasn’t just about you going too hard on the cider.” He shifted closer to Rus, placing a hand on his shoulder. Rus glanced at him. His expression was soft, but there was worry in his eye-lights. “we’re friends. i’m not going to hold anything against you. did—did something happen while you were drunk?” His expression darkened. “is it something to do with a client?”

Rus looked away and shut his sockets. He could feel the burning press of tears. “it’s—” He took a shuddering breath. “there’s... someone.”

“someone…?”

“a-another monster. who i—” Rus’s words caught. “slim, i can’t. it’s—it’s…” Wrong. Blasphemous. _Unfaithful._

“did this person hurt you?” Slim asked, frowning.

“no!” Rus swallowed. “no, not at all. he wouldn’t.”

“then... what?”

“i h-have… feelings. for him. emotional feelings.”

“... emotional feelings.”

“i fucking like him, okay?”

Slim studied him dubiously. “you like this guy? what’s the problem?”

Rus grit his teeth, staring at the mud. “it’s... not right.” His voice fell to a whisper. “u-unfaithful.” He bit back tears. Unsuccessfully.

Slim was frowning. “un—?” Then his sockets widened. “oh, he’s not your soulmate.” He relaxed at once, laughing. “oh, come on, rus, you know i don’t give a shit about that stuff.”

“yes, i know _you_ don’t,” Rus said, though Slim’s words still came as a relief. “but i— _we—_ we can’t.”

Slim looked solemn. “who is he?”

“a client,” Rus said quietly.

“and does he? feel the same way?”

“i—i don’t know. i think so.” Rus frowned. Edge certainly seemed to enjoy having sex with him. But so did most clients. Then again, none of his other clients had ever invited him over for dinner. Or out for drinks. None of them had ever carried him home while he was too intoxicated to take care of himself and stayed with him for the night. “yes,” he said, with more confidence. “yes, i think he does.”

“and have you talked to him about this?” Slim asked.

Rus shook his head. “i can’t do that.”

“sure you can. just tell him how you feel and—”

“no, slim, you don’t understand, i _can’t,_ ” Rus grit out. “he’s—he’s a client. it’s not—it’s not right. it’s not legal. a-and he’s a cop—and... _my_ job. i’m—i’m sleeping with other people—” He cupped a hand over his mouth, inhaling sharply. Slim put an arm around his shoulders.

“hey, it’s alright,” he soothed, squeezing Rus’s arm. “it’s okay. let’s take a step back. have you considered ending your contracts with other clients?”

Rus stared at him. “why—i can’t do that. it’s my job.”

“but you feel guilty about it.”

“yes, but i… i can’t just quit my job.”

Slim gave him a questioning look. “hey man, i know you like getting laid every other night, but—”

“it’s not that,” Rus snapped. “i... i like my job. i like being able to help. to do something for monsters who…”

“there are other ways you can help.”

“m-maybe, but… i like this job.”

“more than you like this guy?”

A lump formed in Rus’s throat. “well—well why do i have to choose?” He felt like an insolent child.

“i never said you did. but you’re telling me it’s making you feel guilty.”

Rus looked at the ground, clenching his eyes shut against tears. “i-i don’t… i can’t—this is too much. i don’t even know if he wants this.”

“well have you talked to him about it?”

Rus shook his head. “it’s not that simple. i-it’s against the law and he’s—he’s a cop.”

Slim sighed. “sounds like his job would make this difficult, too.”

Rus’s breath hitched and he pressed a palm over his mouth. “slim, what am i m-meant to do? i feel like i’m in way over my head, and i just—this is too much, i can’t—”

“hey, hey, it’s okay.” Slim put an arm around him, drawing him close. “deep breaths, it’s alright.” Rus buried a sob in Slim’s shoulder. “i know this has gotta be pretty overwhelming, but i really think you should talk to him. he’s probably got some feelings about this too.”

“i—i don’t know,” Rus whimpered. “what if he…?” There were so many ways telling Edge could go wrong.

“he fell-verse?” Slim asked.

“yeah…”

He nodded. “then he’s definitely got some feelings about this whole thing. trust me, rus. the best thing you can do is talk. he deserves to have a say in this too, doesn’t he?” He glanced at his phone and grimaced. “shit, i’ve gotta get back to work.” He stood up, then studied Rus, frowning. “you gonna be okay?”

Rus wiped his sockets with the back of his sleeve and nodded weakly. “y-yeah. i’ll be fine.”

“you sure?”

“i think i need some time alone. to think.”

“okay.” Slim crouched and squeezed him. “please look after yourself, tale-verse.”

“i will. thank you, slim.” With a small smile, Slim teleported away. Rus didn’t bother doing the same. With plenty of time to waste, he began to walk in the direction of his apartment.

The streets were quiet. Most monsters were at work, or indoors to escape the rain. By the time Rus reached the central road near his apartment, he was soaked through. And his mind was made up. He was going to call him. He was going to call Edge and… and tell him.

When he reached the steps up to his apartment, something caught his eye across the road. There was a poster stapled to one of the lampposts. Rus approached it with stirring dread. He knew what it was before he saw the thick black letters that made his soul churn. _Unfaithfuls are decimating our society! Remain vigilant and report Unfaithful activity._ A number was written at the bottom of the page.

Rus shut his sockets and saw red. A sharp spike of disgust shot through him and he ripped the poster from the pole. Kitty greeted him when he marched through the front door, rubbing herself against his ankles despite his dampness. Poster still crumpled in his fist, he lit a fire in the hearth with cold, shaking fingers, then tossed the paper into the flames, watching it burn.

He exhaled and closed his eyes. His soul was turning itself in knots. There was a soft mew at his feet and he opened his eyes again. Sighing, he sat down on the carpet and petted Kitty behind the ears. The moment he allowed himself to stop being angry, the tears returned. “i-is it wrong?” he asked her. She stared at him, blinking slowly. “i could—i should…” He swallowed and took out his phone. Edge’s number blared at him.

He placed his phone on the carpet and stripped off his damp clothes, hanging them in front of the fire, then wrapped a blanket around himself and sat on the sofa. Kitty hopped into his lap. He stared at his phone, breathing out before he tapped Edge’s number. His soul was loud in his ear canals.

“Hello?”

Rus inhaled sharply. He’d seen Edge just this morning, but hearing his voice was like a wash of warmth over his body.

“Rus? Is everything okay? Hello?”

Rus hung up and dropped his phone on the sofa next to him. He shut his sockets. He couldn’t do this. He couldn’t tell Edge. If he told Edge, then it became real. Unfaithful. And he’d be putting Edge in a difficult position. Edge was law enforcement. He couldn’t—

He startled when his phone began to ring again. He stared at the screen—at Edge’s number… and let it go to voicemail. Edge didn’t leave a message. It was a relief and a disappointment. Slumping back on the sofa, he groaned and covered his face with his hand. Kitty meowed loudly and nipped at his bare ribs.

****

For the rest of the week, Rus went to work as usual. He didn’t call Edge again ( ~~though he spent an abnormal amount of time staring at his number~~ ), and Edge didn’t call him. He tried not to think about Edge, ~~unsuccessfully~~ , and focused on work. He paid close attention to his clients’ projections, and channelled excess magic into keeping them stable.

But it was difficult to keep Edge out of his thoughts for long. He lasted until Friday night. He and Edge had a session scheduled tomorrow, and Edge hadn’t cancelled yet, so Rus knew he’d be seeing him. And he was… distracted.

“Fuck— _fuck,_ sweetheart. You feel real fuckin’ good.”

At a rather inconvenient time at that.

Rus pressed his face into the pillow as his client held his hips and pounded into him. It was a pretty standard night for him. Rolf was a regular client, and only sported five LV—he was easy enough to temper. He wasn’t awful in bed either—not fantastic, but tolerable—so Rus had only to muster up a few moans to maintain the fantasy. Only…

He pressed a hand over his mouth. No. He couldn’t think of him. Not now. Not _now._

“Yer real tight, today, darlin’. Nice an’ wet, too.” Rolf leaned over him, clutching him around his ribcage. He thrust in harder, and Rus grit his teeth as the new angle brought him deep. “Oh yeah, you like that, don’ ya? C’mon, sweetheart. Lemme hear ya.” Rolf ran his claws over Rus’s spine and Rus shivered. He could almost picture… almost pretend…

_No._ Not like this.

But the image was already planted. Rus could almost feel the coarse brush of bone over bone, hear the deep, rich voice, smell the sharp spice. A moan slipped from his mouth, unbidden. Rolf groaned, pushing him into the mattress. “Ohhh _fuck._ Yer gonna make me come.” Rus lay immobile beneath Rolf as he fucked into him roughly, shame crashing over him. With a grunt, Rolf stilled inside him and Rus felt his warm release coating his walls. He pressed his face into the mattress, hiding his tears.

 

“You were a damn good fuck tonight, sweetheart,” Rolf said at the door. He grinned down at Rus, bearing his yellow teeth. “Don’t s’pose I can convince ya ta stay an extra hour?” He winked. “Our secret.”

It wasn’t unusual for Rolf to make such remarks, but tonight, the statement made something squeeze uncomfortably inside Rus. He forced a smile. “not unless you’re my soulmate,” he said, in what he hoped was a light tone.

Rolf grinned and patted his shoulder. “Ha! Now wouldn’ that be nice? Fer me, at least. Guy like you could do better than an old dog like me.”

This time, there was more genuineness to Rus’s smile. “you sell yourself too short, rolf.”

“Nah, yer just too kind ta me.” He reached into the back pocket of his jeans and pulled out a small wad of notes. Rus’s smile faded. “Now I know it ain’t exactly permitted, but here.” He handed Rus the notes. “Only a couple a’ twenties, but I know they ain’t payin’ you enough at that place.” He winked. “We can keep it between us, yeah?”

Rus knew the gesture was well-intended, but taking the money made his bones crawl. It felt like dirt in his hands. After returning to the facility and having his tag removed, he sat on the steps outside, flicking his lighter just centimetres beneath the paper notes. So desperately, he wanted to watch them burn.

Instead he found himself at a small corner store, spending the extra cash on a pack of cigarettes. He leaned against the cold bricks of the alley outside, out of the rain. The smoke drifted through him, suppressing his stress rather than lessening it. After lighting his second cigarette, he pulled out his phone.

He exhaled and stared at Edge’s number. He had it memorised at this point. He slumped against the wall and sat down, mindless of the damp ground. At last, he compromised with his more cowardly side, and sent a text instead of calling.

_hey_

He stared at the screen, waiting. After ten minutes (and one more cigarette) there was no response. The pit in his chest gaped. It was after midnight… Edge was probably just sleeping. That was all. Dragging himself to his feet, Rus teleported home. After showering and wishing Kitty goodnight, he climbed into bed and shut his eyes, willing sleep to end his night.

His phone buzzed and he snatched it off the nightstand. Edge had replied.

_Is everything okay?_

Rus quickly typed a response.

_yeah sorry just wanted to talk_

He stared at the screen as seconds ticked by.

_About?_

Rus considered, chewing his tongue anxiously. He typed and deleted and re-typed his message four times before deciding to send it.

_how was your week?_

_Adequate._

There was a sinking feeling in his chest. It appeared Edge wasn’t in the mood to talk. Dejected, Rus locked his phone and returned it to the nightstand. But before he could turn over, the screen lit up again.

_Though, not quite up to the standard of my Saturday evenings._

A grin crept across Rus’s face. He sunk back into his pillow.

_anything i can do to remedy that?_

_It would be nice to hear your voice._

Rus’s soul pulsed. He spent a good few minutes staring at Edge’s message before he gathered the courage to press his number. “Rus?”

Warmth washed over him. “edge. hello.”

“Are you okay?” There was concern in Edge’s voice. “Earlier this week…”

“oh—no, i’m fine. it’s... nice to be talking to you.”

There was breathless laughter on the other end of the call. “You have no idea. It’s so good to hear your voice.”

Rus closed his eyes, his magic simmering pleasantly. “how have you been?” he asked.

There was a moment of hesitation. “Not… fantastic. Work has been—” Edge went quiet for a moment. “I’ll be fine. I’m just glad you called.”

The reminder of work made Rus’s insides squirm guiltily. He had a million things he wanted to say to Edge—things he needed to confess. But instead, he said, “yeah, so am i.”

Edge exhaled. “Rus, I—I need you. I don’t think you realise how much I need you. Everything you do for me, it’s… you can’t imagine how much I need it.”

Though there was a hint of strain to Edge’s voice, his words made Rus smile. “are you talking about the fact that i get down on my knees for you, or… the other stuff.” The times he held Edge in his arms when he was dealing with an episode, or when he and Edge spent the entire hour talking, or when they just lay in silence.

“Both.”

Rus swallowed. “oh.”

“You… I just want you to know that I appreciate everything you do for me.” The tension in Edge’s voice had deepened.

“edge, are you okay?”

“Yes.” There was little conviction to the word. “... no. I’m—I’m okay. I don’t know.”

“edge, i could… help. i could come over and—”

“No,” Edge interrupted, sharply. Rus fell silent, a lump forming in his throat. “No,” Edge said again, softer. “I’m sorry. I don’t think that’s a good idea. I just… need to listen to you. Your voice.” He sighed. “It’s not right. It’s not right that—that you and I are…”

Rus felt himself shrivelling. “i can go,” he said in a very small voice.

“ _Don’t._ Please. Don’t go.”

The desperation in his voice made Rus feel cold. “edge, please. i can… i can help.”

“We can’t, Rus. You know we can’t.”

Tears burned Rus’s sockets. He took a shaky breath. “but you… need me. i need you.”

Edge was silent, his breaths uneven. “Rus…” His voice was so unnaturally soft. “I’ve spent the whole week feeling guilty about wanting you.” He went quiet again, breathing deeply. “You know, the other day I… I had to arrest two monsters for engaging in…” His voice choked off. “For being Unfaithful.” Rus shut his sockets as tears started to fall. “And—and how can I—how can I do that to two people, then turn around and commit the same crimes myself? How can I live with myself?” The words rang loudly in Rus’s skull. His hand shook around the phone. “I’m—I’m sorry, Rus. I’m so sorry. You know we can’t…” Edge’s voice broke on the last syllable.

“please d-don’t go, edge,” Rus said, his voice catching on a sob.

“I’m not. I’m not going anywhere. I’m right here.”

“can i… can i still see you?” Rus asked tremulously. “tomorrow, we have a—a session. you’re not going to stop…”

“I’m too selfish to stop seeing you. I need you.”

Rus nodded to himself, wiping the tears off his cheekbones. Though he was relieved, his chest still ached. “it’s not enough.”

“No,” Edge said quietly. “It isn’t.”


	7. Confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's honesty hour...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Strong discrimination against non-soulmates, family fighting, threatened disownment. Those warnings are pretty vague, though, so if you want a more detailed description of what happens, check the end notes. But be warned, they're very spoilery.

On Sunday morning, Rus went straight to the facility. The previous night’s memories still lingered—the feeling of Edge’s arms around him, the warmth of his magic, the brush of his fingers over Rus’s face. He didn’t let himself dwell on them. He couldn’t. He stopped outside Val’s office and shut his eyes, inhaling. This was for the best. He needed to convince himself of that.

He knocked and Val called for him to enter. She glanced up at him from her desk, her black eyes narrowing. “Sweetheart, you don’t have to come in on your day off. You’re lucky enough to have one. Use it.”

Rus sat down across from her. “i brought you coffee,” he said, handing her the warm cup.

“Thanks...” She studied him, her feathers ruffling. “Something you want to discuss?”

Rus nodded. “val i’m… i’m here to resign.”

Val blinked. She put down her pen and took off her glasses, leaning forward. “Goodness, what brought this on?”

Rus avoided her observant eyes, fidgeting. “it’s... complicated.”

“Ah. Soulmate?”

Rus shook his head. “no, but… i can’t do this anymore. it doesn’t feel right.”

Sighing, Val placed a clawed hand on his arm. “It’s not uncommon to feel that way about this job. But sweetheart, you know there’s a reason this profession is legal. You’re doing a good thing here, and the Fates can’t look unkindly upon you for it. You aren’t dishonouring them by helping these monsters.”

“it’s not the fates i’m worried about dishonouring,” Rus said bitterly. “i like being able to help, i really do. i just… i need to find another way to help.”

Val exhaled, watching him silently. Rus forced himself not to look away. Val had a way of reading people, and it was unsettling. She was Tale-verse, and Rus had little doubt she was religious. At last, she nodded, leaning back. “Well, I can’t say you won’t be missed. You’re a good worker, Rus. And the clients love you.” _Translation: you make us a lot of money._

“thank you, val,” Rus said. He reached into his back pocket and took out the piece of silk he used to conceal his soul mark, threaded with the silver _F_ to represent the company’s loyalty to the Fates. “guess this won’t be necessary anymore.” He placed it on her desk and turned for the door. Val watched him go, a hint of sorrow beneath her severity.

When Rus emerged on the street, his soul felt light. He exhaled, brushing his thumb over the dim mark on his arm. The sun was out, and warm on his bones. He smiled to himself.

****

“What’s got you looking so happy?” Blue asked.

Rus glanced up from his bowl of soup, giving his brother a faint smile. “well, i… quit my job today.”

Blue looked stunned. His mouth hung open as he held up a spoonful of soup. “Oh!”

Rus s rolled his eye-lights. “no need to sound so disappointed, bro.” Blue had never had much respect for his career. It wasn’t surprising. The job had barely bordered on the right side of Faithful, and Blue was a stickler for Faith.

Blue quickly shut his mouth and shook his head. “No, no! I just—what made you decide to leave?”

Something niggled at Rus’s insides. He so desperately wanted to talk about it. But he held back. Blue had always been traditional—especially when it came to love. Rus wasn’t sure if he’d understand. Grillby definitely wouldn’t, he thought bitterly, glancing at the elemental. “i just needed a change, i guess,” he said, blowing on a spoonful of hot soup and avoiding his brother’s gaze.

“Well, I’m glad,” Blue said cheerfully. “I hope this works out for you.”

“If you need help looking for work, there are plenty of jobs available at the MTT,” Grillby said, giving Rus a pleasant smile. “I could put in a good word for you.”

Rus didn’t look at him. “i only just left,” he said flatly. “i have time to look.”

“The jobs I’m talking about are very sought after,” Grillby said primly. “You’d consider yourself a very lucky monster if you landed one.”

Rus gave him a false smile, tilting his head. “thanks, grillbz. i’ll keep it in mind.” He knew his sarcasm wasn’t convincing anyone. Grillby pressed his lips together but didn’t say anything. Swallowing, Rus looked down, realising he may have pulled the trigger a bit early. He eyed Blue, half-expecting to be reprimanded, but his brother was very preoccupied with his soup.

After dinner, Rus helped Blue clear the table, drying the dishes while Blue washed. Grillby wasn’t much use near the water, but he hovered behind them, fidgeting. Blue sighed without turning around. “Go home, dear, we’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure you don’t want me to stay?” Grillby asked, massaging Blue’s shoulders.

Blue stiffened, nudging him off. “We’ll be fine. They’re just dishes. And you’re doing them no good just standing there. Go on.”

Rus glanced between them. The red glow surrounding them was paler than normal. Grillby looked conflicted, his eyes fixed on Blue. “Very well,” he said eventually, taking his jacket from the back of his chair. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then.” Blue didn’t answer, and Grillby left with a frown. Rus realised he’d been drying the same bowl for two minutes. He placed it in the drawer and watched his brother.

There was something off about Blue. His magic was dim and dull, and his spirit felt damp. “hey bro… everything okay?” Rus asked.

Blue went still, his jaw tightening. He placed the dish he was washing in the drying rack and stared directly ahead. “F-fine.” He squeezed his sockets shut and wiped a hand over his face, tears welling up in the corners of his eyes.

Rus put down his dish towel. “hey, hey, it’s alright.” He put an arm around Blue’s shoulders and guided him out of the kitchen.

“Oh, but, the dishes…” Blue protested weakly, looking back at the sink.

“they’ll still be there later,” Rus said, leading Blue into the living room and sitting them down on the couch. “talk to me. what’s going on?”

“Oh…” Blue shook his head and wiped the tears off his cheekbones. “It’s—I’m just being silly. It’s nothing.”

Rus frowned. He squeezed Blue’s arm. “blue…”

Blue clenched his teeth and shook his head. “No, it’s—it’s Grillby. A-and me.” Rus’s mind immediately jumped to all the worst conclusions, but he held his tongue and listened. “We’ve been trying to b-bond for weeks and I just… I just _can’t,_ Pap.”

Rus felt relieved—then guilty. Relieved that it wasn’t worse—and guilty that he was relieved. “blue… you don’t have to rush.” _you don’t have to do this at all,_ he wanted to say.

“But I—I want to be able to do this for him.”

“you don’t owe him anything,” Rus said firmly.

Blue shook his head, pressing a fist to his mouth. “He’s my soulmate. I need to… This is how it’s mean to be.”

Rus sighed. “it’s not—”

“Yes it is!” Blue snapped. “You just don’t understand because you haven’t found your soulmate yet.”

Rus’s bones felt heavy. It was an age-old disagreement, and he knew arguing with Blue wouldn’t get him anywhere. “you can’t force yourself,” he said calmly. “it won’t be… good, if you do.”

“But I _want_ this.”

“if you wanted it, it would be working,” Rus told him quietly.

Blue stared ahead, trembling. Then he pressed his palms over his eye sockets and sobbed. Rus held him, murmuring meaningless words of comfort as he cried. “it’s okay, blue,” he said. “it’s okay.” He projected faintly. It was a similar sort of magic to what he used on his clients… _used to use_ , he reminded himself. It seemed to work, because gradually, Blue stopped crying. He inhaled shakily and looked up at Rus.

“I’m sorry for—for dropping this on you,” he said. “But I don’t have anyone else to talk to. I haven’t spoken to Alphys in months, and Grillby doesn’t get along with Blooky… and I—I _can’t_ tell him, Pap. I can’t. You’re the only one who…” He inhaled deeply and wiped fresh tears away from his sockets. “I just needed to tell someone.”

Rus nodded and pressed his teeth together. “it’s okay,” he said faintly. He itched to get his own secrets out. Blue had just confessed something personal to him. Had allowed himself to be vulnerable. This was the first time in months they’d had a conversation like this.

In hindsight, Rus knew it was a bad idea. But in the moment, he found himself saying, “blue i… i have something i need to tell you, too.”

Blue looked up at him, his eye-lights watery. “Of course,” he said. “You can talk to me about anything.”

Rus swallowed, already regretting this. He shut his sockets and inhaled. “i’ve... met someone.”

Blue stared at him. Rus could see the cogs working in his head. Before he could say anything, Blue gripped his wrist and pushed up his sleeve. “You mean?!” His smile faltered when he saw Rus’s mark. Still pale. Not glowing or coloured to signify contact with his Soulmate. For a second he frowned, confused. Then his expression darkened. “Rus…”

“h-he’s not my soul—”

“ _Don’t._ Don’t say anything more.” Blue pulled away from him and Rus’s soul shrivelled. The disgust on Blue’s face was like a knife to the chest. “Don’t tell me anything. Or I’ll be obliged to—to turn you in.”

Something broke inside Rus. His jaw trembled, and tears welled up in his sockets. “b-blue…”

“Rus. This—you know this isn’t right. You know you can’t.”

“blue, i love him.” Rus hated that this was the first time he was saying it. The first time he was realising it. And Edge wasn’t even here to hear it.

Blue’s expression twisted. There was despair in his eyes, shame, revulsion. “It’s… wrong,” he hissed, shaking his head as if he couldn’t contemplate it. “It’s—Unfaithful! Fates, Rus, what is _wrong_ with you? How could you do this? I can’t believe—”

“and you?” Rus snapped, standing up. “what do you know about love?” His fists were shaking. Angry tears burned his sockets. “just look at yourself! you don’t love grillby—i don’t even think you like him. yet here you are. you’re forcing yourself to be with someone you don’t care for at all! what kind of a life is that?”

Blue stared at him, his jaw set. “Get out,” he breathed. His eye-lights burned. “Get out of my house!”

Rus swallowed. “blue, i—i didn’t mean—”

Blue picked up his phone off the coffee table. “Get out now or I’m calling the police.”

“i-i’m your brother,” Rus said helplessly. He felt like he was sinking.  

Blue was breathing harshly. “Well right now, I wish you weren’t.”

Rus teleported away, not even thinking of a destination. He was yanked roughly from the rift, and he landed hard, his knees buckling beneath him. He fell onto the cold concrete of pavement and stared at the ground, his hands stinging. Raindrops splattered in front of him—no, not raindrops. Tears. He was crying.

Clinging to himself, he crawled back and leaned against the cold bricks of the wall behind him. He pulled his knees to his chest and pressed his face into his arms, sobbing. His mind was a mess of confusion, regret, shame, self-doubt. He reached for his phone, finding it dead.

Gritting his teeth, he rubbed his sockets with the back of his sleeve and glanced around. The street was eerily quiet, and dark. But it was familiar. He was only a few houses down from Edge’s place. A thick lump formed in his throat when he thought of Edge. He felt guilty. Ashamed. Dirty….

Yet without thought, Rus found himself walking in the direction of Edge’s house. He was shaking uncontrollably, and he wrapped his arms around himself. When he reached the front gate, he was already beginning to have second thoughts. The house was dark… maybe Edge wasn’t even home.

Now he was just making excuses. No, he’d come here for a reason. There was nowhere else he wanted to go. At home, he’d be alone. He couldn’t be alone right now. He rang the buzzer and waited, chewing his tongue. For a full minute, there was no response. Rus pressed it again. No answer. He frowned and glanced at the front door.

Then he noticed… the gate was unlocked. That was unnerving. Edge never left a door unlocked, let alone the front gate. Cautiously, Rus pushed it open and walked up to the front door—which was, alarmingly, also unlocked. “... edge?” he called anxiously, walking inside. He closed and locked the door behind himself. The house was dark. He could smell the familiar woody earth, and the dying cinders of a fire.

But beneath that, the air felt heavy and oppressive. It prickled over Rus’s bones like electricity. He cautiously made his way through the dark house, to Edge’s bedroom. The feeling grew stronger the closer he got. Rus wasn’t deluding himself. He knew what it was. He felt it before he opened Edge’s door—the sharp press of LOVE.

He stood in the doorway, catching a glimpse of the red pinpricks of Edge’s eye-lights. “edge, it’s me.” He frowned, taking a hesitant step into the room. “are you—”

Edge sat up sharply in bed and Rus flinched. “No,” Edge breathed, staring at him through the darkness. “No, no, no—Rus, you need to leave. You can’t be here.” His voice was unsteady, fuelled by panic.

Rus didn’t move. “edge, you… you need help.”

Edge was holding himself, sitting bolt upright. He stared at Rus, sockets wide with alarm and unchanneled energy. “It’ll pass.” He breathed slowly, but the sound was harsh. “But you can’t be here. Not now. I’ll hurt you.”

Rus was trying to project—trying to reach out with his magic, to soothe Edge. But he wasn’t exactly a model of stability right now. He wasn’t sure it was having the intended effect. “let me help,” he said softly.

Edge whimpered and shook his head. The magic in the air felt static. It was making Rus agitated. “Please go,” Edge said, faint but desperate. “Please. I’ll hurt you, Rus. I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to you because of me.”

“i can’t leave you alone like this.”

“I _need_ to be alone for this,” Edge growled. Rus took an automatic step back as the aggression in the air spiked. “I can’t subject anyone else to this. I can’t. Especially not you.”

Rus inhaled and crept a step forward. Edge’s gaze snapped up and he halted fast, swallowing. “y-you need me.” His voice was meek. He knew he didn’t sound convincing. He sounded desperate. He _was_ desperate. “i hate seeing you like this,” he whispered.

Edge stared at him with gritted teeth. He was shaking, and Rus ached. He could see how badly Edge wanted to say yes. But instead, he ducked his head, shaking it hard. “No, no, I can’t. I _can’t._ ”

Rus shut his eyes and took a leap of faith. He climbed onto the bed, keeping his distance. Edge looked at him sharply, trembling. Magic spat from him like flames. “you’ll be okay,” Rus said softly, pushing out with his magic. “i’m here with you, edge. i’m right here.” He reached out and Edge scrambled away, pressing his back against the headboard.

“Don’t…” His voice lacked conviction. Rus could feel him giving in. He projected harder, emanating peace.

“let me hold you,” he whispered. He touched Edge’s closed fist with the tips of his fingers and Edge flinched. But this time, Rus didn’t pull away. “you’re okay, love. it’s just me. you know i won’t hurt you. and i know you won’t hurt me.” He looked Edge in the eye, breathing slowly, clinging to calm. Edge’s eye-lights flickered to him, fizzling with charged magic.

Shaking, he slowly took a hold of Rus’s hand. His grip was tight—too tight—and Rus had to hide a wince. But slowly, he was able to draw Edge closer, until he was tucked against his chest. He felt the damp of Edge’s tears against his shirt. Humming softly, he stroked Edge’s skull, closing his eyes and breathing out. “you’re okay. i’ve got you.”

Edge clung to him, pressing his skull against Rus’s ribcage, over his soul. His breath shook. Rus could feel his soul beating rapidly, as if it was aware of how close Edge was. He lowered them both onto the bed and they lay side-by-side. Edge was enclosed safely in his arms.

Time passed without Rus’s knowledge. All his being was focused on Edge. On his breathing, the feeling of his magic, the touch of his bones against Rus’s. Slowly, his breaths began to even out. He stopped shaking, and the harsh magic in the air faded to soft warmth.

Rus was dozing when he felt Edge’s breath against his jaw. He cupped the back of Edge’s skull out of instinct, and Edge pressed himself closer. “Rus,” he murmured. “I want you.”

Rus closed his eyes. Magic spread downward through him. Along with a bitter slice of cold. “edge,” he said softly, his insides twisting. “we... we can’t. it’s not allowed…”

Edge stroked his thumb over Rus’s mouth and looked him in the eye. His eye-lights had lost their flames, and were burning low like fading embers. “I don’t care.”

Rus stared at Edge, wide-eyed, certain he’d misheard. Those three words… they were all he’d ever wanted to hear. Was he deluding himself? Because surely this wasn’t real. But, no… there was utter conviction in Edge’s expression. “Tell me now if you want this to stop, and it will.”

Rus took a moment to shake his head, his mind still slowly processing what Edge was offering him. “no... no don’t stop. don’t.”

Edge didn’t hesitate half a second before leaning in and kissing Rus. And Fates be damned, it felt more wonderful than anything else the world had to offer. The waves of relief that rolled over Rus were tremendous. His entire body felt light. He could feel himself smiling against Edge’s mouth, unable to stop himself. He kissed him back fiercely, dragging their bodies together.

When Edge reached into his pants, Rus’s breath caught. He was still clinging to the distant belief that this was _oh so very forbidden and wrong and sinful—_

But why would the Fates make something forbidden feel so perfect?

Edge stripped him slowly, savouring his body as he gazed over it. He lowered Rus onto his back and pushed his knees apart, ducking his head between his legs. At the first warm press of his tongue into his cunt, pleasure rushed through Rus. Pleasure of a spiritual kind, as well as physical.

He gasped and clung to Edge’s shoulder, biting his fingers. Edge reached for his hand and held onto it as Rus’s climax built. Rus came with a whimpered cry, squeezing Edge’s hand. Trailing kisses along his hips and up his spine, Edge leaned over him, then kissed him desperately until Rus was moaning into his mouth.

Edge reached down to unbuckle his pants but Rus caught his wrist and looked him in the eye. “i want to see you,” he said. “all of you.”

Edge watched him silently, conflict warring in his expression. Rus had never seen him completely naked. Edge had never allowed himself such vulnerability in front of him. But now, he nodded, leaning in to touch his teeth to Rus’s forehead before carefully removing his sweater.

Rus watched in transfixed awe as each item of clothing came off, until Edge was bare in front of him. He had his arms around himself, and his eyes were downcast. There was shame written across his face. At Rus’s silence, he laughed dryly. “What? Did you think I got 13LV without picking up a few physical reminders along the way? Were you expecting a porcelain doll?”

Sighing, Rus lifted his chin and looked at him firmly. “i love you.”

Something broke in Edge’s expression. His sockets went wide and he stared speechlessly at Rus. He was stripped bare beyond his clothes. He was vulnerable. Rus leaned in and kissed him, pulling his arms away from his chest. He crouched so he could kiss Edge’s scarred ribs, running his tongue over the notches and breaks in the bone, channelling love and compassion into each touch.

Edge gave a soft whimper as Rus pushed him onto his back and straddled him. The head of Edge’s cock brushed his folds, and he ground down, running his hands over Edge’s bones, pouring affection into the gestures. Edge whimpered softly beneath him. He was beginning to shake. He looked more vulnerable than Rus had ever seen him. His sturdy mask was stripped away.

Rus cupped his face. “i’m allowed to want you now,” he said. “and i want all of you.” He held Edge’s face in his palm as he guided his cock between his folds and sank down. He was slick with arousal, and Edge slid in easily.

They both groaned as Edge sunk deep. Edge grasped onto Rus’s hips, holding him as he ground down slowly. Edge’s cock pressed perfectly against Rus’s inner walls, and he bit on his fingers to hold back whimpers. Gripping Edge’s shoulders, he rode him gently, watching the way his expression softened with pleasure.

“Rus—Rus,” Edge gasped, wiping a hand over his face, “You feel so good around me. You feel amazing. Oh…” He ran his hands down Rus’s body and Rus dropped onto his chest, burying his face in his shoulder. Edge thrust up into him and guided his hips, moving him at a tender pace until Rus’s climax began to build. He whimpered against Edge’s skull, breathing heavily.

“shit, i’m gonna come.” He inhaled sharply and wrapped his arms around Edge’s shoulders, clinging onto him. “i love you— _fuck,_ i love you.”

“Yes.” Edge kissed his neck then moaned. “Yes, I love you too.” He gasped, holding Rus tightly. “ _Oh._ I love you. I love you…” He repeated the words. Over and over, and Rus’s orgasm washed over him in a burst of heat. He felt Edge releasing inside him, and shuddered.

Edge panted, lifting Rus off his chest to look at him. He remained inside Rus, until he started going soft. “I love you,” he said again, as if he still couldn’t believe it. Warm tears streaked Rus’s cheeks, and Edge frowned. “W—you’re crying.”

“yes,” Rus laughed, wiping the tears away. “i—this is just. i can’t believe i’m this happy.” Edge’s expression warmed, his smile so precious Rus couldn’t let go of him. He held on tightly, and let Edge kiss him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Detailed warnings **SPOILERS**
> 
> Blue threatens to turn Rus in to the police because of his relationship with Edge.


	8. A safe place

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything is out in the open. Now it's time for Edge and Rus to make a decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the final chapter! Thank you to everyone who's been so supportive and encouraging throughout the course of this fic. Your feedback has been really overwhelming, and it always makes me so happy to know there are people out there enjoying what I write. ^_^ I had so much fun with this fic.
> 
> Warning for **implied eating disorder**. I can't think of any further warnings that may be applicable to this chapter, but let me know!

Rus was awoken by the early rays of sunlight that slipped between the curtains. He tried to turn over, disgruntled, but something held him in place. Groaning, he pried his eyes open. Through the haze of lingering sleep, he could see two pinpricks of red. He reached out and touched Edge’s face. “how long have you been awake?”

Edge placed a hand over Rus’s. “Just a few minutes. Did I wake you?”

“yeah.” Rus smiled sleepily. “must have been the staring.” Edge’s cheekbones glowed, but he didn’t look away. Rus disentangled himself from Edge’s arms and sat up. It struck his notice that they were both stark naked, and he pulled the sheets up around himself. “what happened to our clothes?”

“We took them off. To have sex.”

“oh, gee, i hadn’t noticed.”

Edge smirked. “You asked. But since we’re here…” He reached up and pulled Rus back down onto him. “Let’s not put them back on just yet.”

“oh, i hadn’t planned on it.” Rus grinned and hoisted himself on top of Edge, planting his legs on either side of his hips and lying on his chest. “have i ever mentioned how incredibly sexy you are?” he purred, running his finger down Edge’s sternum. Edge was warm beneath him, magic flowing visibly between his joints.

“You have, but you’re welcome to bring it up more often.” Edge cradled Rus’s skull against his chest, and Rus closed his eyes, inhaling Edge’s sharp scent. He ran his hands over Edge’s ribs, lifting his head to study the scars and ridges in the bone. Edge’s expression hardened and he lifted Rus up. “Truth be told, I’d much rather be the one doing the looking.” He trickled his fingers down Rus’s ribs and settled on his hips, circling his thumbs over the bone.

Magic settled in Rus’s pelvic inlet. He took one of Edge’s hands, and with a small tilt of his head, said, “you’re permitted to do more than look, sweetheart. this exhibition is for touching.”

Edge lifted a brow. “Oh, is it? Well, be warned, I intend to study this one rather thoroughly.” Rus grinned, then sighed appreciatively when Edge pressed a finger against his unformed magic. He circled his finger, coaxing Rus’s magic to form a cunt. Beneath his pelvis, Rus could feel the pooling warmth of Edge’s magic. Edge was watching him with a glow in his eye—keen interest deepened to arousal. He slipped a finger inside Rus with ease, quickly adding a second. He kissed Rus’s knuckles as he thumbed his clit, never breaking eye contact.

“oh…” Rus shut his eyes, tipping his head back. “fascinating study, isn’t it?”

“Extremely.” Edge’s voice erred on guttural. He pushed his fingers deeper into Rus, curling them while he circled his clit. Rus arched his back, moving his hips forward in tiny thrusts. His orgasm was building rapidly, heat blossoming in his bones.

Then all at once, Edge pulled away. “fuck—way to leave a guy hanging,” Rus exhaled as his climax waned. He opened his eyes, but Edge wasn’t looking at him. His brow bone was creased. “hey, is everything okay?”

“I meant what I said last night,” he said quietly. “You know that, don’t you?” He looked up at Rus, his features hardened.

“i—” Rus shook his head. “you’re going to make us talk about this, aren’t you?”

Sighing, Edge lifted Rus off him and sat up. “This isn’t something we can dive into headfirst without a moment’s thought.”

Rus scowled. “i dunno, that’s kind of what i had in mind,” he muttered.

Edge grit his teeth. “I… I know I love you. I do. But what we’re doing is… it’s against the law, Rus. You know that.”

“i know,” Rus said sourly.

“Then you know that we need to think about this before we—”

“before we what?” Rus gave Edge a faint smile. “before we start having sex? i think it’s a little late for that.”

Edge groaned, frustrated. “This isn’t a joke, Rus.”

“i know it isn’t. i’m not treating it like one.”

“You’re—” Edge closed his eyes, breathing out slowly. “We need to consider what might happen before we commit to anything,” he said carefully. He reached up and brushed Rus’s cheekbone with the back of his hand. “I’m willing to take the risks necessary. More than willing. I’ll—I’ll break the law. For this. For you. But…” He swallowed and dropped his gaze. “But if you’re not willing to do the same…”

“edge…”

“I’ll understand if you’re not. This isn’t something I expect of you, I want you to know that. Your decision shouldn’t be influenced by mine.”

“i don’t—”

“I know I’m asking a lot.” Edge exhaled, speaking as if it pained him to do so. “I’ll give you time. To think.” He began to climb out of the bed but Rus caught him by the shoulder.

“edgelord, you massive idiot, i don’t need time to think,” he said, laughing. “i’ve already made up my mind.”

Edge sighed wearily. “Rus, this isn’t a decision I want you to rush into.”

“it’s not a difficult decision.” Rus smiled sadly, cupping Edge’s face. “stop looking like the world is collapsing on you. i’ve had plenty of time to feel guilty about this. i’m done with that, and i promise you, i want you. i want to let myself love you.”

The faintest glimmer of a smile crept onto Edge’s face. His eye-lights went soft, and he glanced away, shutting his sockets. “Fates, this is so selfish of me.”

“hey.” Rus smacked his arm. “none of that. we’re not starting this… this whatever-it-is blaming ourselves for whatever shit comes our way. because i know this isn’t going to be easy. i know it isn’t. but we’re both committing to this. in spite of the risks. and the bloody fates.” He grimaced. “and i know… with your job and all…”

Edge was shaking his head, frowning. “My job… no. I—I actually quit… last night.”

Rus blinked at him. “you did?”

Edge’s features were creased, and he was wringing his hands together. “I couldn’t work there—for a system that forbid me from loving who I wanted to.” He cupped the back of Rus’s neck, pressing their foreheads together. “Fuck, I—I couldn’t bear it, Rus. You don’t even know…” His voice was weak, and his breath shook. “And—and it wasn’t good for me. For my LOVE. My episodes were becoming more and more frequent. The job wasn’t exactly peaceful. Too many reminders of… you know.” There was a fleeting prickle in the air, like static across Rus’s bones. Edge shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. I think it was for the best.”

His expression was distant. Idly, he ran his fingers down the back of Rus’s neck. Closing his eyes, Rus took a deep breath. “i quit my job too,” he whispered. Edge looked at him abruptly, but Rus couldn’t meet his gaze. All the shame he thought he’d put behind him was creeping back. “i’ve been feeling s-so guilty about it—fuck.” He wiped away frustrated tears.

“Rus…” Edge’s voice was soft. “I never held any of that against you. It was your job—and we weren’t together. You owed me nothing. I never expected anything from you. Please, don’t turn this into something it’s not.”

“i… i slept with other people. while i—we were always more than that. you were never just-just a client to me.” He let Edge draw him to his chest, wiping away tears.

“This is something that’s been troubling you,” Edge said slowly. “I understand. We’ve both had sex lives outside of each other, but there’s nothing wrong with that.”

This felt too easy. Why wasn’t Edge angry with him? Why was he so relaxed about this? “but i’ve… slept with other people…”

“Rus.” Edge laughed. “I don’t care. So have I. But I want you now. I don’t want anyone else.”

Slowly, Rus eased himself up, frowning at Edge. “so… it doesn’t bother you that i’ve—that you’re not the only one i’ll ever—” Rus glared. “why are you laughing?”

Edge shook his head, his grin one of disbelief. “I—this is a Tale-verse thing, isn’t it?”

“what do you mean?”

“I mean—” Edge exhaled. “You’re allowed to have a history, Rus. A sexual history. Your life doesn’t have to revolve around me. Not your sex life, not your social life. You don’t—you don’t belong to me.”

Rus frowned. His head was spinning. “i—i mean, i didn’t _think_ that. i just thought that… i-i don’t know. you would have liked it if i’d… saved myself for you or whatever.” He scowled at the bedsheets, picking at a thread. “not that i would have. but, i guess i thought you’d be upset.”

“Are you upset with me?”

“no?”

“Even though I’ve slept with other people?” Edge lifted a brow bone and Rus huffed.

“who?” he asked, folding his arms.

“Oh, you want to play that game, do you? You first.”

“ugh.” Rus shoved a pillow in his face, and Edge chuckled softly.

“The point I’m trying to make is that I’m not angry or upset or betrayed—or whatever you’ve gotten into your head. I’m just… happy you’re here now. With me.” He pulled Rus against him, pressing his face into the nape of his neck. “I count myself very lucky. Nothing compares to this.” His grip became tight and he inhaled deeply. He radiated warmth, and Rus caught a tinge of that interest—that early bud of arousal. He tucked his head beneath Edge’s arm, closing his eyes.

“so… so we’re like, together now? like a couple?”

“… Let’s not put a label on it just yet.” Edge frowned. “Is that okay?”

“yeah, actually, more than okay.” Though Rus wanted everything and more from Edge, the idea of committing to one person so wholly was daunting. Best to give it time. “so we’re basically just two people. who fuck.”

Edge pinched his hip, pulling him down onto his chest. “Yes. We do fuck. Rather frequently, if I get my way.”

Rus licked his teeth, magic filling his mouth. “well, we’d better get started then.” The breath left him as Edge rolled him onto his back, leaning over him. He felt the hard press of Edge’s magic against his own, and shivered.

“No time like the present.” Edge lowered his head, his breath ghosting over Rus’s jaw. “Tempted as you may be, try not to scream. We wouldn’t want the neighbours to hear.”

It was like Edge was letting out all the frustrations he’d been holding back last night. Without the imminent threat of his LV hanging over their heads, or the last shred of resistance their love, he could truly _dominate_ Rus. Own him. Claim him. Rus felt it deeply. There was an energy to the way Edge took him that was truly indicative of how desperate he was. How much he needed this.

It was exhilarating. It made Rus’s body ache. He needed more.

When Edge kissed him, Rus found euphoria. He couldn’t have asked for anything else. Right now, here, he was content. This was all he needed.

 

It was creeping on midday when they finally crawled out of bed. They’d fucked, then they’d dozed, then fucked some more, then held each other, pretending to be asleep. There was a deep ache in Rus’s bones—a good one. He wandered the room bare while Edge stripped the bedsheets, already fully dressed. “If I weren’t utterly spent, I’d be pinning you to the bed, you pretty bastard,” Edge said dully.

Rus grinned, wiggling his hips suggestively. “i’ll take it as an insult that i’m not already pinned.”

“Well, I just changed the sheets.” Rus pouted, and Edge sighed. “Put some clothes on. You’re distracting me.”

“from the mentally strenuous task of putting on pillowcases. oh, how shall you cope?” Edge rolled his eyes and turned away. Grinning, Rus crossed the room to the dresser. “so now that you’re officially my… lover.” He cleared his throat and looked away when Edge raised a brow at his choice of word. “does that mean i’m allowed to go through your drawers?”

“No.”

Rus tugged open the top drawer. “you have an entire drawer just for shirts?”

Edge regarded him dubiously. “You don’t?”

“i don’t even have drawers.” Edge made a face that told Rus he deeply disapproved. Rus pulled a shirt from the neat stack of clothes, and Edge’s features tightened.

“I’d appreciate it if you left my drawer as you found it.”

Rus eyed the shirt. It was black, and there was a picture of a ribcage printed on it. “ooh, classy.”

“A gift from Papyrus.” Edge fidgeted, eyeing the now-messy drawer. “More of a nightshirt than anything.” Rus pulled it over his head and did a spin.

“how do i look?” he asked, grinning at Edge. “oh wait!” He covered his torso. “look away, i’m naked!” That earned him an eye-roll. Chuckling, he tugged on his jeans and shoes. “mind if i wear it? it kind of smells like you.” Edge went stiff, and Rus caught a glimmer of magic between his vertebrae. He smiled to himself. Oh, he knew exactly what he was doing.

“Go ahead,” Edge said gruffly. Rus approached him, leaning against his shoulder from behind.

“maybe later, i’ll let you take it off me.” Edge let out a sharp breath and drew away, making Rus laugh. “hey, you have a charger i can borrow?” he asked, pulling his phone out of his pocket.

“On the nightstand.” Edge gathered the dirty sheets in his arms and disappeared from the room. Rus plugged his phone in and waited for the screen to light up. “Would you like to come out for drinks again tonight?” Edge called from down the hall. “I think Undyne would like to see you again.”

“yeah, for sure,” Rus replied. “sounds like fun…” He trailed off as his phone turned on. His chest clenched and he swallowed. Seven missed calls from Blue, and a string of texts. He read them slowly.

_Pap, please call me, I’m worried._

_Pick up your phone, Rus._

_Please answer me._

The rest were much the same, except for the last one.

_Please call me, Rus. I need to talk to you. I need to apologise._

Rus’s hands trembled around the phone. He placed it facedown on the nightstand and pressed a hand over his mouth, his breath hitching. Edge’s footsteps echoed down the hall. “… It’ll be great to have you out again. Although I’m not letting Undyne order you any drinks—Rus?” He stopped in the doorway. “Is everything… are you—?” He hurried over and sat on the bed next to Rus, putting an arm around his shoulders. He glanced at Rus’s phone, but didn’t remark upon it. “Hold onto me,” he said gently, and Rus put his arms around him, letting go of a sob. “It’s okay, let it out. I’m right here.”

The messages. Rus hadn’t been ready. Not yet, he needed more time to—to think, to evaluate. He’d been suppressing everything that had happened last night with his brother, and now, all the emotions were rushing to the surface. He couldn’t control them. He felt too vulnerable with Edge. He couldn’t hide this. “h-he wants me to call him,” he said in a tiny voice.

“Who does?”

“my brother.”

Edge’s body tensed slightly. “Is he hurt?”

Rus shook his head, wiping the heel of his palm over his sockets. “n-no, but—” He inhaled harshly, his breath catching on weak sobs. “last night i told—told him about us.” He squeezed his eyes shut, warm tears streaming down his face. “i shouldn’t have. he could—i put you at risk too, i’m so sorry, edge.”

Edge hushed him softly. “It’s okay, Rus. What happened?”

Rus shook his head, clenching his teeth—in anger, in hurt, frustration. “he didn’t—he said that—that i was—” Edge pulled him in and Rus clung to him, crying freely. He couldn’t get the rest of the words out, but Edge’s silence bespoke his understanding.

After letting Rus cry himself to faint hiccoughs, Edge quietly asked, “He wants you to call him?”

“i—i don’t know if i can.”

“And you don’t have to,” Edge said firmly. “You don’t have to do anything. But you need to decide what will make _you_ feel better.”

Rus shook his head, shutting his eyes against fresh tears. “i don’t—i don’t know.”

Edge stroked his spine and rocked him gently while he cried. He kissed Rus’s skull. “Take some time to think about it, okay?” Rus nodded, wiping his sleeve across his face. “Remember, you don’t owe him anything.” Rus reached for his phone and stared at the screen. His hands shook. “Would you like me to stay?” Edge asked softly. “Do you want me here?”

“i-i—no, it’s okay. i think i… n-need to be alone. for a bit.” Rus inhaled, composing himself. “thank you, edge.”

Nodding, Edge stood up. “If you need me, I’ll be in the living room,” he said, squeezing Rus’s shoulder. “Anything you need. Even if it’s just to sit here with you.”

“thank you,” Rus said again, weaker this time. He reached for Edge and wrapped his arms around his waist. He needed to hold him… just for a little longer.

Edge crouched to kiss the crown of his skull before leaving the room, shutting the door on his way out. Rus stared at it, longing for him to walk back in—so he could put this off. So he’d have someone to fall back on if things went sour. But… this was something he needed to do. To confront.

He stared at the string of texts on his phone until they were engraved on the inside of his sockets when he shut them. Still second-guessing himself, he pressed Blue’s number and listened to it ring.

 

**2 months later**

“Do you ever wonder?” Edge ran his thumb over the mark on Rus’s wrist. “Who it is?” Rus tugged his arm out of Edge’s hold and pulled his sleeve down.

“not really. i mean, i mostly try not to think about it.” He sighed. “guess i just don’t care—besides, i have you. what do i need a soulmate for?” Edge tilted his head, and the corner of his mouth twitched. “oh, if you’re worried about having to compete for my affections, i can assure you, you’re just fine.”

Edge laughed softly, pinching Rus’s chin. “As if there’d be any competition. I’m the epitome of Perfect Boyfriend.”

“lover,” Rus corrected, smacking his hand away. “i only keep you around for your genitals.” He considered. “and your tongue.”

“Well, I won’t pretend I don’t have a talent.” Edge smirked, leaning in again. He slipped an arm around Rus’s waist and drew him in, kissing him. Rus parted his teeth to taste Edge’s mouth, grinning when Edge reached behind him to pinch his coccyx.

“feisty,” he murmured against Edge’s mouth. “but we have guests, remember?”

“Too well,” Edge said regretfully. “But this is your house, and the door is locked…” He dragged Rus closer, trying to pull him into his lap.

“and my brother has the hearing of a fox.” Rus resisted his pull, with no small amount of reluctance.

Humming, Edge drew away. “Later, maybe.”

“definitely.” Rus cupped his jaw and kissed him deeply. “and i’ll hold you to that.”

There was a knock on the door and they pulled apart at once. Rus stood up, straightening his shirt. “come in.”

Blue opened the door cautiously, peering in. “I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”

“nope,” Rus said, shoving his hands in his pockets. “just some very intense platonic eye contact.” He fiddled with his lighter. He’d been getting better with the smoking, he really had. But it was times like these that he really itched for a cigarette.

Sighing, Blue looked past Rus. “Are you well, Edge?” he asked politely.

“Quite well, thank you.”

“That’s good.” Blue smiled faintly. “Dinner’s ready if you’d like to help set the table.”

Rus opened his mouth with a protest ready, but Edge spoke first. “We’d be more than happy to.” He strode past, looking over his shoulder to level Rus with a frown. Rus stuck his tongue out at Edge’s turned back, huffing. Blue watched him go before shutting the door and turning to Rus.

“Pap, please be on your best behaviour.”

“don’t know what you’re talking about, bro. i’m always on my best behaviour.”

Blue pinched his nasal bridge. “Grillby’s here. And you know he doesn’t… understand.”

Frustration ticked inside Rus, and he rolled his shoulders. “it’s my house, blue,” he said quietly. “am i not permitted to kiss my boyfriend in my own house?”

He could tell Blue was trying to stay calm, but his jaw was tight. “I’m saying this for your sake. You _know_ what would happen if anyone found out—”

“i know.” Rus sighed. “we’ll be careful.”

Exhaling, Blue squeezed his arm, giving him a sad smile. “Thank you, Rus. I know it’s hard.”

“i don’t think you do know, but thanks for trying.” He brushed past Blue before he could respond.

In the kitchen, Edge was setting the table with Slim and Papyrus. He looked up when Rus entered, but his face was a mask of indifference, and—yeah, that always hurt. Everyone sat down while Blue dished up the quiche. Rus moved towards the seat beside Edge but Red blocked his path. He patted Rus on the arm. “hey, good ta see ya bud.” Rus smiled weakly and tried to move past him but Red stood solid. “best ta keep it subtle, huh kid?” he murmured. Rus glanced over his shoulder. Edge was watching them, but he looked away when Rus made eye contact.

Rus gave a sigh of concession. “right, yeah.” He sat beside Slim, who smiled at him.

“how’s the job search going?”

Rus grimaced and slumped in his seat. “fantastic.” Slim frowned and glanced away. Rus heard Papyrus’ voice in his periphery.

“… so Slim, how has work been? I heard you had to rescue an entire litter the other day. That must have been quite something!”

Gradually, Rus let the rest of the chatter around him fade to background noise. He stirred his food around his plate without eating. He knew he was sulking, but he hated family dinners. They were misery. He couldn’t so much as _sit_ with the person he cared for so deeply, much less tell anyone they were together. Family time was supposed to where he could relax and be himself. But he’d never felt like more of an outcast.

“What are you sulking about, Ashtray?” Rus looked up at once. Edge was eyeing him from across the table with bemusement. “Sit up straight and eat your dinner. Your brother worked hard on it.” It took everything Rus had not to smile at the knowing look on Edge’s face as he watched him.

He hoisted himself up in his seat, clearing his throat. “sorry, edgelord. kinda lost my appetite when i heard you’d be joining us for dinner.” Red coughed loudly to mask a snort and quickly shovelled a forkful of quiche into his mouth. Of the people at the table, he and Blue were the only ones who knew about Edge and Rus’s relationship. Rus sometimes wondered how much success Red had keeping it from Papyrus.

“So, Edge,” Blue interjected. “How are your studies going?”

“Very well,” Edge said, turning his quiche over with his fork. “I’ll be starting my training soon, and then it’s just a couple more years until I qualify for a full medical license.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful!” Grillby said, beaming. He liked Edge a lot. Considered him a very proper and respectable monster. Rus sometimes entertained himself with the possibility of seeing the look on Grillby’s face if he actually bothered to do a Check on Edge. Thankfully, Checks were considered poor manners in Tale-verse society. “It’s a healing course, isn’t it?” Edge nodded. “What is it you’re specialising in?”

“gynaecology,” Rus cut in.

“We’re given a bare minimum in a lot of areas, reproductive biology being one of them,” Edge said, narrowing his sockets at Rus. “But my area of specialty will be surgical healing—emergency doctor, mostly.”

“Oh goodness, how esteemed!” Grillby said, starry-eyed.

“I’m enjoying it.” Edge glanced thoughtlessly at Rus, then quickly returned to his food. Rus took a bite of his quiche to hide a smile, but inside, he was glowing with pride. After leaving his job with the police, Edge had been very quick to enrol in medical healing school. And after only a couple of months, Rus could feel the change in him. He slept better, had more energy, felt more at ease. His LV still bothered him, from time to time. Rus made sure he was always there when it did.

“We were very sorry to see you leave the force,” Papyrus said, “but I’m overjoyed to hear you’ve found something you’re happy doing.” The smile Edge gave him was genuine.

“Police officer to healer,” Grillby said, “that’s quite a big change.”

“The work wasn’t good for me there.” Edge frowned, turning his fork over in his hand. “It reminded me a little too much of my time serving in the war.”

Grillby’s plastered smile fell. “Ah. Of course. That must have been… difficult.” Edge nodded woodenly and dropped his gaze. He crossed his knife and fork on the corner of his plate, his quiche only half-eaten. Rus swallowed back the urge to try and get him to eat more. His hands itched and he crossed them in his lap, trying to keep his gaze off Edge.

Red, who had already cleared his plate, stretched his arms and sighed loudly. “thanks fer the grub, blue. pretty damn good.” Blue smiled faintly, and Red looked at Edge. “yer not gonna finish yers, bro?”

Edge eyed Red bemusedly. “No. But it was good. Thank you, Blue.” Red looked unconvinced, but he didn’t kick up a fuss. Had the others not been here, Rus had little doubt he would have. He’d seen Red on Edge’s case about his eating before, and it wasn’t pretty.

But now, his attention was on Slim. “so slim,” he said casually, “pap an’ i are headin’ uptown after dinner fer drinks. ya wanna join us?” Rus glanced at Slim curiously, in time to see his face turning the colour of a peach. Papyrus was giving Red a warning look.

“w-well, i—i don’t know if i—if i can—” Slim stammered helplessly, unable to tear his gaze away from his plate.

“THAT’S QUITE ALRIGHT, SLIM,” Papyrus interjected loudly. “RED WAS MERELY OFFERING.” He leaned in, and more quietly, said, “Maybe next time?” Slim nodded tightly, looking at the table. Rus nudged him in the ribs and Slim shot him a glare.

There was a long yowl from down the hall and Rus sighed. “alright, kitty! in a minute. let us eat our dinner first, you little beast.”

“Oh, I fed her earlier,” Blue said.

Rus shook his head. “it doesn’t count if i don’t do it. or—” He caught himself, his eyes flickering to Edge. He cleared his throat. “kitty makes up her own rules about who’s been fed and who hasn’t.”

Edge gave a laboured sigh. “For goodness sake, Rus, you need to stop calling her that. It’s like me naming you ‘Skeleton’. Call her Fang.”

Rus snorted. “oh sorry, didn’t mean to impede on your territory, master.” Edge narrowed his sockets and Rus smirked, crossing his arms. “my cat, my rules.”

“i don’t think she belongs to anyone, really,” Slim said quietly.

“fine.” Rus waved his hand. “i feed her, so i name her.”

“I feed her sometimes,” Edge mumbled, looking down. “And Fang sounds better.” Rus couldn’t hide his smile. This argument was genuine and long-standing. Unlike most of their conversations during these dinners, it didn’t feel quite as staged.

After dinner, Slim made a feeble excuse and left. Rus noticed Red and Papyrus exchanging looks. After helping clear the table, they too departed. Blue and Grillby washed the dishes while Edge and Rus tidied the kitchen. Rus pointedly avoided Edge’s eye, but he could feel every look Edge sent his way.

Grillby and Blue were discussing last night’s episode of MTT’s cooking show. “… I’ll have to ask him for the recipes he used,” Grillby was saying. “Though, be warned, they’re usually very exclusive. He doesn’t like handing them out to just anyone.”

“Oh, but it’d be wonderful if you could get your hands on them. I’ve been dying to try out the one with robot oil…”

Rus listened while he wiped down the table. He didn’t notice he’d been going over the same spot for a whole minute until Edge put a hand on his shoulder. “Where is your bathroom, Rus?” he asked quietly.

Rus blinked at him, glancing at his brother and Grillby. They were still preoccupied. “uh, just this way—i’ll show you.” Rus led him out the kitchen, Blue and Grillby’s talk fading behind them. The air stirred with Edge’s presence as they walked—he was so close. It took every ounce of Rus’s willpower not to turn around and fling himself into his arms until they reached his room.

The moment the door was closed, he threw his arms around Edge, squeezing tightly. Edge returned the gesture, pressing his face into Rus’s neck and inhaling. “You were misbehaving,” he murmured, amused.

“i’m sorry,” Rus said without a shred of sincerity. “i get all pent up when you’re not paying attention to me.”

“Well, just for that, I’m going to have to pay extra attention to you later.”

Rus smiled against his shoulder. “that a promise?” He dragged his fingers down Edge’s spine, yearning for the feeling of his rough bones, bare beneath his hands. “i miss you.”

“I miss you too.” Edge kissed his jaw lightly. “Are you coming out for drinks with Undyne?”

“yeah, i wouldn’t miss it.”

Edge exhaled, squeezing him. “Good.”

“edge?”

“What?”

“can you please hold me, just a little longer?”

Edge pulled Rus closer, cupping his skull and holding it against his shoulder. “Of course.”

 

Edge was waiting for Rus when he teleported outside of the Black Wolf. As always, Edge had taken a taxi. Neither of them were fond of each other’s preferred method of travel. One of these days, Rus vowed he would get Edge to teleport with him.

Leaning in, Edge pecked Rus on the cheek. It was such a small gesture, but Rus smiled, his face warm. Edge took his arm and they walked downstairs. Rus leaned more readily into him when they reached the basement. The bar was all warmth and rowdy chatter; friendly greetings in their direction; enthusiastic shouts of laughter.

Undyne was leaning against the bar, chatting to the bartender. Rus tried to gauge her level of intoxication as they approached. Usually, at this point, she was nearing her limit. Tonight appeared no different. When she caught sight of them, she waved her arms wildly, beckoning them over. Edge cast Rus a Look, sighing when they reached Undyne. “I thought I told you not to start until we got here.”

Undyne smirked, taking a drink from her glass. “And since when did I start taking orders from you, dog?” Edge rolled his eyes and gave Rus a frustrated look, but Rus just laughed.

“did you at least order for us?” he asked.

Undyne hummed, scratching her chin, then turned to the bartender. “Rom, two ciders.” She leaned across the bar to whisper, “and make his a light,” looking at Rus, who lifted his finger at her.

While Edge and Undyne bickered, Rus leaned into Edge’s side. A warm flush ran through him when Edge slipped an arm around his waist. The first time Edge had gotten affectionate with him in this place, Rus had almost bolted. It felt so unnatural—so terrifying—to express this side of their relationship to the world. They didn’t have the safety bubble of a coloured glow around them. Everything about their relationship was a crime—against city law, against the Fates.

But here, they didn’t have to hide. Here, no one cared—that they weren’t Soulmates, that they were Tale and Fell-verse. It didn’t matter here. Sometimes, Rus felt like an outcast in his own home. He had to hide and pretend, keep secrets, lie. But here, he was allowed to love Edge openly. He was allowed to feel safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a pretty strong possibility of a sequel to this--in fact, it's already in the planning stages, and only my own laziness is holding me back. If I've got any updates, I'll be posting them to my tumblr, so check me out there if you're interested!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! ^_^
> 
> If you're interested, my tumblr is [@dragonfics](https://dragonfics.tumblr.com/). I post fic updates and the occasional headcanon there. (It's NSFW, so please don't follow if you're under 18!)


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